ABSTRACT
If Watts had tied the fate of the language in with the fate of the nation in its quest for imperial status, then Trench's account of the language and nation is more complex. Although he too binds them together, he does so in a way which both encapsulates and advances important theoretical claims. Taking as his object the 'use, origin and distinction of words', Trench moulds his study in order to fulfil his belief that 'language is an instrument of knowledge'. The types of knowledge, and their deployment for particular purposes, form the most interesting aspects of his work.
