New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-07-21
PROBLEMS IN LANGUAGE.
PAPERS OF THE PATHOLOGICAL AssoCIA-

| THEORIES
The American Pathological Association re-
assembled yesterday, and Notwithstanding the INTENSE
| heat about the number were present as oh u'o
preceding day With surprising fortitude the Association
listened 20 about 10 papers, the most interesting 6hd
practically important Of which was doubtless me I'Poi
OF a committee upon reform in the spe"h3 ID INC
English language.
| The Executive Committee announced the election to
membership in the Association OF Prof. W. o. Fernaid OF
Williams College aud Prof. 8. p. Andrews OF Ne"-ioTA
| city. On,
The first paper upon the Notation OF the Paatal Slp
| liant In English" was presented by Prof D. Cover
Wrightman of Taunton, Mass, who argued IN iaVor OF
more systematic and concise notation OF the sfd pi"
| sibant c. and for the adoption oi adaeu apiI'o''
characters to represent the common eohoha''on' VI
with other consonants such Sch cht, chS' e'c DIN
! words in every hundred gwen by worcester
| Dictionary contain this sound, and Prof' ""i'
nev of Vale College states that five sxhs OF one per
cent OF all English utterances represented ny tha
sound BY the present notation ana II the eatln"' VI
s use given above ia correct there Is one page vi S'o
letters in every 100 pages OF matter, producing ""
equivalent To the cost of one volume III every loo
vas suggested that &c with the cedilia might DC SUD
st.tuted for the various combinations now III use 10 pro
duc. the reourcd sound Prof. Haldeman approved the
| contents Of the papcr.
Prof. d. C. Martin of Rutgers Female College read
paper upon "Thc Relation of Pathological Accuracy 10
Scientific Nomenclature"
Tine Committee appointed last year take into con-
sheraton the reformation Of English spelling consist
lng of Profs whitney, March, HaIdeman, and Packard
reported rs follows:
/ The true and sole office OF alphabetic writing IS
faithfully and inelligbly 10 reieIrht oxen Scs ion
The IDEAL Of an ALPHABET at every sound shonld
have it, unyarying sign an~ every s'Su i'' un'
Il An ninhabet intended for by vast community
need NOT attempt an Exhaustive ANAL is OF the elements
OF fteranee ana presentation OF he incest varieties 1l
articulation; il may well leave room Iui INC ''i' '
| play OF individual an local prOnunclalion ,,.,o
A. An ideal alphabet would seek to auopt ior i'S tt
accrs ur.Is wIlcn snOuld Suggest tc suuhu9 a'enu'
ard If wiicn tie rcscmbanccs should in s"ne ncasuiI
rrprcse the snilar les of the sounds ba' ior t,u'.,'
Dr. cca there is no advantage IN a y Ss', N.Y. m,tr
ans to depict in detail the physical processes VI "''i
no language has ever had, is likely to have,
! p.ricct alphabet, aud IN changing ana ahennns lne
modes of writing OF language "ta3 ioiS no.,
,rl must .sirly be had to what - prGcUcb poa-
slbr quite rs mucn TO what II mhtr'HJ5 ues1"'t
tn - Ia ,rk down hy The combined influence Of en-
ig.tcned scholars and of prac icii educator > t' l
n,.Isc and stubborn prejudice "Lch regards t's osa
,sicd modes of spell Ing almost rs constituting the IAN
qua e. a. having sacred character hN IN '3eh'e.NcH
Preferable to others All agitation ana All definite pro
,ls 9" relorm ar t., welcomed tar - tncy "Oih
la THIS direction. A. ALTERED "ittos dpy, WIN uG N
u-c ID, any sensible and consistent new sJst'H "l'
rapidly win he hearty ricicrcr' O. Of nc mas, ' ",''S'
! ~! T',r K,u,.u alunaOrt h. VIII " aud so hinl'j
ctyIislcg in IIse among the lcauiuE CNlu@td h't""S,
49, ~ ,nnn1 tc U ,r iced in adapting improved
us Tor English, effort, OF scn"rs should Do "Itcea
,owrd with uniformity and IN cOhioi'5 VII"
othct nations
Tu reading Of the report was followed b. discussion
ri it ots and b. several papers upon tine came gen
eril subject IN VIII ch few definite plans were suggested
bur which All agreed in the main as to the ihpoItc" ol
great reform in Spelling and the difficulty of carrying
into execution. The papers read Oh the SUBJECT were
by Mr. Joues of Liverpool, Prof W G. Sawyer OF Law
renee University, Wis., and James W. she lcf 81 Li"eIS
Gunner " ]. Tne report was accepted and tAe Comh'
! tee continued IN power Tor the further advance oil
pBonctic interests with Prof. March IS its chairman
Al the afternoon session tne secretary read as new
members the uaues of c. Osborne Wand OF Sfootil ana
Prof Howard Osgooi Of Rochester THEOLOGICAL Semi
nary. II decided 20 bold the next annual meeting
~ Baltimore on July TO- 1877.
| The Committee Numna ions reported rs odiceis OF
the Association for the ensuing year The following:
Prcsid nt : : Haldcman. University Of Pcunsy yana'
JOINS HOPKINS Unvolsiy. Baitnlore, and j. - Swell yell
BowlUia College. secretary ana curator! ft''' 10.
lriuty COlcl: Hartford. Treasurer Charles > Buck
IEWS ii,r We oiIge J. uamn0ad Tr,,mbuil Hart
| lord Albert iiarAucss, Brown UhNcisi.yi isn l.
| e,n Central University. Richmond, X.
The firs paper OF the afternoon, upon the subject
| What Shakespeare Knew ABBOT Horsemanship" was
! presented by J. Il. Bttinger of SewlcEly, T. It,
paper On Section 2G2 OF DemO,tnchca's De Corona
was read by Prof Brewer of the University Of south
Carolina VINO translates the PASSAGE cil-saS follows
| :" Having hired tnysclf those actors Singles and
s,ctatcs nicauancd the heavy Croancrs, thou dldSl
exhibit thy self rs tn dpart actor. thus collecting figs
and GRAPES aud olives, iust fruit pctdla FROM other
peoples fields wing from thy employers more than
was received the EDITIONS which yc e&hted at
the pcr,l Of your lives" Prof Brewer c0mmcntcd al
eugh upon the passage iust,fy,ng his rendering by an
anay the sentence and an explanation O the refer
! enccs therein made.
| Prof joy of the South Baptist Theological Seminary
! read paaer upon Hebrew EtymoioEy lie maintained
that the Hebrew verb is trter has three verb tins.
and that there necessity OF trying TO reduce 1t t"
! a bitcral form. Hc also enumerated and explained
| certain anomalous verbal forms in Hebrew.
Prof March of Lafayette College presented paper
! ON ."No 32s Of the Codex Drlomaticus Anglo-sax-
| onum."
Prof stengel OF Columbia College next read long and
exhaustive paper upun The Historical Formation % ic
French Language" In addition 70 stating the principles
which have work in the development OF French
and cnuIncrtiug positive changes which have taken
place Prof Siougcl illustrated copously the growth O
the Language through addition, combination, and sub
.iitutiou and pointed out 10 what other angases, o.
TO which of the numerous dialects Of the old frcncI
provinces the tongue indebted for its perfected
| structure.
Prof Whitney read paper upon "A BOranico-Ph0-
| logical Problem" This examination OF LAX
Miers theory, given III his second volume OF Lectures
as TO the words for ir oak and beech The original
word for fir has been changed 10 mean oak III some
! Enr,pean languages, AMI that for "Oak" TO mean
bacch;" and IN certain Danish districts, oaks had
gradually ougrown frs and beeches, IN Later times,
oaks Nh MILLER led to suggest that the boanlca.
| change lad been the OF the linguistic Prof.
wuitn,y pointed the objections to this theory,
mainly under three heads: o. There is no reason to be
eve that ccnturyong process OF prevalence IN ire
uency of one another could possibly lead to
an exchange OF their niIues. "There are many ways
in which the meanings of words changed, out this
! IL certainly not one Of them" t2) The process
OF change has in Latin, etc. gone IN the two words