, 1879-01-18
THE plONUNCIAT10T OF LATIN.
n, III Edtlof at ThA TfibMnx.

NOVefhmeht pfint.} W. H. hA!LVus
THE pn0NUNCIAT10H OF LATIN.
m ihs Edttor af TIA Tribune,
CHICAGO, Ian, lB.-In the Issue OF last Sat-
urtlay You published IN abstract Of ". W.
1tor3's contribution to Tic .Norta american
Ker:tw entitled "Tha Pronunciation OF tho
Latin Language" Yon introduced tho author
as " All eminent scholar, skilled bnth In Latlr.
and 1talian," but As the gtst of his article Is
severe criticism OF and m absolute protest
against tho German method Of propouncitK the
Latin language, It IA OF paramount importance
to know whether the writer II a. mich skilled
in German nj In Latin. After rcadlnr the astse
c,c was fully convinced that the author wns 10
German scholar; for, II he were, he could not
commit htu,kef to tho misrepresentation,
In.se assertions, and hlundcrA ~h!el. are founa
In this remarkable essay.
Permit inc to substatltfate my criticism br
few quotations.
Mr.. Story starts out from the idca that Ger
mara src very unsafe gutaes IN uattcs4 nl
pronunciation: for thcv ttnconsctousfy trans
pose, without apparently recognizing any real
mid qu. With eli md r. With r. with z.''
This abatement colltatna song truth asll some
falAchUotl. II would I've true II It said the Ter
nnnll-Aus.rians aud the Soulh ucrtnans nro
I,cn ty Of ssn xn'a ns,a
fault existent only In n part, llc tn1sreprcschts
tue faets "a much ~ tc would by saying tllst I'LL
EuRltsnen tnisapply the letter b.. Alr. stUry
goes eycn so iar as y ,s, aaseft: H. fat9 a!1,' 10
wunls, Ion jour, madame without changing
thrco III its Standardization ci,uur, 1natu1Ele."
| beg to say tllat 1t ia exceedingly difficult 10
lind German wllo would thus pronounce these
o, % or d a. t Dfore vowel. In rep.
rcscnttn9 on tic stazo a tlerman speak-
ing English. actors generally think they have
gIys tbs spcccl. VI . acrlnan. Tlas n,i.tnkc Is
Cxcllsablc on the stage of variety th"atre,
wltcre cxaEgeratlots Nfe Ut common. occurrence.
ami probably necessary for producing tae re.
n,ag!zis,c ought not to be guilty of such n'Is-
!. Utuicas est aasyran mon seribers; it il rcal-
ly difficult not to burnt laughing wilctt o4ln
,,ounccl BY tie Italians as our ia Ia church q
| ch<ss, b,,. bY tho nernans ~ H." Now, Mr. Ed.
| itur, I have gpnu through German Ly':eum; !
| 1.nyu been taught Latin during t1!nc years. !
| hare t'earl u ur.at deal u Latin at Herman
universities, but cau assure you II n novel Ia
me lila. Gvr,nans pronounce before c "ri "
XII Every Her.nan know pronounces Latin I
aa Is, t!,c two eEaments heItlE befi,lr! In pro
natciatioa SO cossly s''at t.ry 'ass ihe c'1cs1 s
eertaia C German xlo in enr,c,i
would pronounce Cicero fNero is not born
| vet; up 10 this time ttat IcrmMIl extsts oniJ III
| ihc Imagination of oxfoFllan Professors and
j. In sIeaking Of The pronunciation Of the
letter sir. story n,akes this siudicrous hluMdcr
"rhe Gcrn1n.ls pronounce 1t "a II It were sipl'
"; Tins they say tto sxpsess r.; tie toina ! J.!
Aglln.t tl,ts PRONUNCIATION we must snter tl1t
u,ost nos1tlva aud absolute prutest.h
Every Getnan witl gladif Sign thls ,protcsit
but ut ihe same tiu!s VII most cnphatsra!s'
the Gertna,ls are guilty ot this barbarolts pro
nuneiatlnn Of Latin. II they wcrc accustomed
IN school 10 prUnounelns Latin ~ English "
bow does Mr. STORY 1eeou'1t ior tue Reli-knwi
Eugli>h has 40 much difficulty tn getting th'
correct pronunciation of VI Sir. ssort's G1Gside
IL ltat tu coustlcrs Englist, and Ger1t,'ln
as equal In *ound, and ttIsn vesletnent!s afgae
tue prust,lrt Of Ills perverted haEiatson Wilt
III reulity the Latin Is pronounced BY Grrlilan
lust exactly Us Mr.. story wisllcs II psnsu''sisc
rMe uerlnans give II tho sounl 81 tls'r W witis W.
very little from the soutIl If Ensllsa =, wll!lo
/ sounds 10 differently FROM English " tnl
1aust be very dull gar Which ts',lnnt discern th
difference. In tho 1e1ma1, languages lhe le,te t.,
g,tut;es, while tllu German h nlwAya pronoun
| I'll nj +. Thu ' w0s originally unltIoWn i' Til
t}rrmaM language; all tl,c words NOW Write
with weru originally spelled Win I; 1or y
stullee, val<r and p~k wcro written Jatar oil
II, therefore, tho Gcrmans substitute their
tor tho V In foreign languages, they do 50 Z
perfectly sound pfuipscs sni ,,t,s hsrss9 @ tn,
ilU.itee t,lurn than tsalt thu consolatts, !" ~ N
Story llus tho Kindness to tell uB.
TIcsv urc q few Of bis lniareprcacntatioNs
| tho German way Of pronolncti'E Latin word
| 1'ncy arc ~ gross that they are easily rsco
: n,zcl as hlulluers OIL the part at tue auflo
a,d t.uy would necd no reiutat[on had th'
not eo,nu from scholar whom escr}bodY su
> poses to b. thoroughly and correctly tntofH''
| 1T tho subject he ID writing about. Alost
''il III should be- Understood that Mr.. story V
referring .attler 10 the syllabus Of The ca
brtdgr and Oxi0rl Professors than TO the aettl
pronunciation Of Lat,n In Germany: II aliou
appear tint tic Cambridge aud oxford pro1t
sort, Wills cndeuyoru: to found their rict.t
| Oh tl,a lcrulau ulethod. hayo nut dono ~, u
, case ugainst them will 10 ul! the ssronEcr.-
tue salnr i!ino. Il must bo admitted tt!at +.
H.h has discovered soma joints tu Ar. Htor3'
ar,nur. Nu BIuud llkn to hear more on tx
: subIeet.-Ep. TRIBUNE.
A uALLAD OF DttIC-A-l3RAC.
ar. Henry Daldwin's amusing little sutire
!, the t3riea.Brne n,alda, printed IN tl.e dt's"
.Hor.sl.lv, t,as been rc!ssucd III pamphlet sosi
: Will. illustrations by tho author. Mr. Baldwin
/. al,1,,st n art Will. the pe.,rl Us with ths ps
: lilo assistc4l III snakiitg tho ILLUSTRATION
f,r "Thc GlItlcd Age" wl,lel. were u.lm!rcd
run,o rcrsous 'nors than The tsxt Of tl,st
etuytca publication. Dir: bailW!irs % "''alla. k.,
lug tn lllc eatluns ut Decorative Art, Will
hllc rttbon.. 1t l. sold by Thy Decofatlye 4
HtpirtIes of New furk unl Chicago for ::l3 ctn
Thy r.s'tE's Of u, clutter society nto ~ thc ~
uIrstairs. N. D.-Take this cicsa,or.)