Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-10-30
INNOVATIONS IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE.

| 1900 "'~N~N -
| INNOVATIONS IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE.
There is something nice conception of the exact
shades of meaning in the words of language which every
feels, (and especially if he understands more Ian
guages than one but which is impossible to explain For
instance the French word has by been transla
ed morals and by others manners while each party have
been that his word but mpeecy expressed the idea
Intended both right, but both deficient, the original
has an intermediate meaning rather includes boh with
all the hasbead ideas associated between them Yet STILL
though expressive word it be properly angli
csed and ought rather ourselves with def
cheney than attempt graft heterogeneous and cabke
mixture upon stock. The woid has lately made
rapid strides among than its azness would to
counenance, (and the fascinating tale which bears its
has aided the adoption But how miserable figure does it
in English uniform Fashion pescrbes that Gal
lie pronunciation shall be peserved and surely is enough
to give American the vapos twist his jaws the bar
barous attempt at The trial ridiculous and while
for comfort have assud, ueariness Spleen laguor,
and the ble-devils command should think vocabu
larry rich and copous the heart of melancholy itself
could DESIRE Some adopons have highly pleased me,
as according well with the standard of simplicity, and mprov
ing themselves the time the judgment of the Eng
ish in their eymoogy and such words telegraph, pano
rama, and Kaleidoscope will hold deserved place die
/
but never American be reconcied
to the hord agon Of aya de,cauag, oy 6ongong,
cer, bongno eccd,c, seede-paung, ro,gdeUoo,
o-ftre, daynumag, tray, day bu, and such like trash,
which is like TO delude to ininy. Can American
pronounce them; Or he could, why he ape know
ledge above his conception He may mangle them till he is
tired, till the feelings Of his hearers completely
cated but viii he fully comprehend their meaning
arculate them at all better than ackdaw. Let take one
consequence, beauty necessity offer any thing their
favor. Bon-ot good word) will, by any Frenchman, be
understood wit well expressed but aicm gives all
the and deal of proprety Tor what will be
thought Of counsellor who should offer his services speak
bon-mot for criminal at the bar We have provincial
ism which deserves degree Of tenderness and respect from
the It's circulation and for a still reason that
till lately the standard pronunciation, and perhaps ought
to have been continued No small degree OF ambiguity mas
crept in upon by pronouncing beat feat, meat &c. as
Beet feet, meet &c Ii true that if The old sound were
continued assimang with bait, gail, scait, &C. some con-
fusion would still remain, but certainly not much would
sacrificed One of this class still retains its primitive sound
and great be allowed rhyme with strait surely treat has
equal right the privilege Take, then, your new-fan-
ged AngoGallcism trait and it will be found not whit
behind the other in absury totally untracable, and
will class with English perspcuity than pig will
class with zebra Pronounce it you WILL and you gain
nohmg but confusion oil call OF
the buffers pantyof the apanners shops your hearers
left guess whether you your dog teaboard
pronounce the terminating and may then become turtle
soup loypop, any other nck-nack in epicurism. And
why admit this ilegitimae upa, when good old feature
contains every title the others meaning Feature of the
face, Of the mind OF the country OF book, comprehen-
size and analogous in every respect whatever.
useless tonyesgate the crowd of Gacsms that might
presented and ninety nine hundred them would be
found useless in their application Two three examples
may be stated show the effort language capable of max
relieve itself from the harsh admxture of foreign ntru-
sion the word curmudgeoa must be acknowledged to be
whimsical and gotesque both appearance and sound No
length Of time literary patronage make it elegant
word though hardly be denied be impressive
and harmonizes infinitely better with than its original,
mecha, Chad hearth Lffeaat is another crippled
subject, tortured into submission, and losing what little inn
porance he had in military graduation by merging into unin
telgble For post Of honor TO be thus turned
into ndicue may be subject Of regret but in the
language Of the Kitchen much precision ought not TO be
pected and bomonge may be easily comPehended blanc
mango (white eatng few words, by of dgession,
may show that lively friends Of France rival US in
similar absurdtes. They have adopted 6oo grin for bow
ng-green, and roJ beef and il those alone who
are fautess are entitled TO cast the first stone, have
right to commence the fray.
given borrowed from The French,
being generally understood than any other language.
and because our literary and commercial intercourse have
posed US most Innovations Of which complain Many
other examples might be aJuced taken from other Ian
guages and which countenanced by the literary world
Of these 10 avoid proxy shall only notice the Unmatched
and dscorant examinations from the Greek and Latin puras.
We have naurazed the useful apd expressive word
raad and why should not the form its plural and thus
correspond with our general rule But
Gle drew his bow and shot at random,
''ind killed his wife for a memorandum
Or as our innovating puralists would have it
''And killed two men for memoranda"
Thus we phenomena, stimuli, strata, fungi eyrafa
and thousand ready fasen upon Individual
price may sugges-each contributing his share towards
the obscu,y and eventual destruction Of language which
probably has had varied capabilities displayed by the ge
MUS Of writers than any other which existed
But whatever apologies may be given for these
mongre innovations, If this evil sufficient the
public fostering another already and altering ponun
citation fast ignorance eyity dictate Singuary
appears be the predominant within; and fear many Of my
distinguished contemporaries had rather be remembered by
their absuriities than sink into oblivion
L. +. t., rHE HIBERNIAN.
The Nashville Wing that aflray recently took