Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-05-22
"SIARYs VERSUS bIARIEs.n

The following reply of Mr.. CALDWELL to one of
our random interrogatories, We take from the Co.
lumbia Examiner -
Mr.. Editor: In the last number Of the "York-
Vile Enquirer the editors, after paying very
pretty compliment to my last poem, GA Dream
of Maries") ask "Why not Marys ?" To this |
will answer briefly. In the first place, because
this formation Of the plural follows the analogy
of the language. Names ending form the first
exception to the rule in our grammars that "the
plural is formed by adding or ss to the singular"
the example for the exception being city, cities.
Besides this the few authorities which ! had con-
suited were in favor of this orthography, which
regarded as unquestonable until the notice Of the
enquirer" appeared.
Encyclopaedia Americana, Vol. viii p. 3l4.-
Sacred history mentions several Maries." &c.
Patrick & Lowth's Commentary, lin the Index,
''three .Maries annonted Christ" SC.
Lastly, in the Golden Legend" of Longfellow,
remember two lines which run thus
1T will do for the face of some beautiful saint
Or for one of the Ndriss shall paint. "-(p 1IS.
Yours, &C., II. II. c.
Our friend has made quite plausible, and, with
al, very good naturel argument; so much so,
indeed, that we really loath to interfere with
it. But we have fancy for tilt at some one,
now and them and, besides, we own to liking
for that word, Mary, which prompts US to cry out
against the sort of Vandalism which would rob it
of any the least moiety Of its tme-honored integ-
rity. If our readers deem it matter of slight
Importance. however, they will quietly pass on to
the next article.
Now, in the first place. we must lay down the
proposition, hat prapsr names do not .f0Aor the
analogy of tie language. If an individual hap
pens to be named Wolf, it does not follow that his
family are Voices, merely because the analogy re-
quires that words ending thus should make the
plural in res Such an idea is absolutely savage!
Here We might come to pause; but we are
not incline to.
Take the analogy forit worth. Grammarians
tell us that the word city, and others of its class,
was originally written cite; and ii is q remarka-
ble phenomenon in the processes of change which
our language has undergone, that, while in the
singular form the ir has been discarded and Y sub
stituted the plural has invariably retained the old
form and added the after the usual Manner
Cities is not analogcally the plural of citV but of
cite. This furnishes the rationale Of the eIcep-
ton upon which our friend depends for his orthog-
| rapLy, and accounts satisfactorily for the anoma-
". Now, if he rW adhere to the rule, We must
require proof that, in the old-time English, the
word Mary had the foIm Marie; and we remark
that it must be sought fter somewhere else than
in the good old English Bible.
We have great respect for the LEARNED author OF
the Encyclopedia but we must venture the opin-
ion that when that work was penned, his acquaint-
ance with our mother tongue was somewhat limi-
ted. Nor can we pin our faith to that huge, "big-
Indian" of poet, whose brain has been for years
80 much bedizzened with the intrcacies of savage
nomenclature that it will be long before the ftNOu
can, with unquestionable certainty, spell his own
name properly! Instead of trusting to the au,
thority Of writer's who mention the name merely
incidentally, we prefer to look for the correct Or
biography on the title-page. Robert Philip,
respectable author of the last century, published
work entitled, "The Narys." Our writers, in
order, perhaps, to steer clear of the breakers up,
on which our veuturesome friend has wrecked him.
self, have been exceedingly chary of the plural
form of this word so much So that it is difficult
to find any authority more reliable than the one
We have adduced.
After all, we suspect it must be decreed to be
matter of taste and there, too, we have the VIC
tory. Those four letters, Mary, have n charm
character "unit-integrty" about them, which
will win for US q unanimous vote. Not heart in
the Anglo-Sa1on world that does not throb more
gently mildly, softly in response to the tones they
make. 1t is household word-enshrined among
the sacred names which belong to the Christian
the first and best of those that make up our OWL
and Liberty's heritage; the name that can bring
the smile of joy or the tear of sadness to every
group that gathers around the fre-side at home
Then, woodman, spare it; "touch not single
bough"
"Whie we've hand to save,
Thy axe shall harm it moi"