The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-08-11
The spelling Reform.

To our unknown friend who nas written
"a IA ON the subject we would say that We
wrote " Palma" as the proper pronunc'a'
lion Of ~ralLMaIl without stopping 10
consult authorities. We are pretty sure
that s,,ch was JOHN X. THoupsoN's pronun'
c,at,cr a the name; but as he Is dead we
will, no, insist upon It. We must, however,
ins,s that the e,ymology OF the WORDS
faeanan and "mag,so"l indicates 'hat
there could be no English re" In them.
Nevertheless, we surrender on the question
Of pronunciation TO our unknown friend, a
,v,pfessor In a Virginia college, who bas
sent us the following article Of lis own TAX
uny the same ground that we recently TOOK
sn n discussion OF the subject OF the so-caI'ed
reform in spelling. His article appeared IN
the Farmyille Mercury in February last. IL
is as follows:
SPELLING reform $50 CALLED).-Talley-
rand. echoine the words OF Noltaire twho
iranslated the idea OF Jeremy Taylor, trans
mitted through and improved by LLOYD,
Smith. Young, Butler, and Goldsmith). once
said that speech was given to man 10 con-
ceal his thoughts. Analogically, spelling
seems 10 have been designed TO conceai the
pronunciation; certainly this seems true IN
oar yernacuisr and in some other languages
OF which we have q smattering.
Failing to recognize this profound TACT IN
the philosophy OF iinguistics, men have been
occasionally found endeavorine 10 ASSUME
late the photography Of English words 70
their orlboepy. In 1850, in HoIeWS fd-
mitiqr Letters. many innovations were at
tempted in the same direction now so INDUS
triously cultivated by the tonetic .ttotog'St
OF to-day, one OF whose last efforts Is pa
per In the January No. OF the Princeton re-
rieo, printed in fonetics, ana wei! caicu-
lated TO excite "ineXtinguishable latter"
without either time or inclination to
discuss this matter now, We would like 10
ask a single question: III pronunciation is
10 be our guide in spelling, aohoSe pronun-
citation is TO he the standard? Take the
word now OF special interest to some OF our
gallant volunteers. Shall we spell 1t toOte-
nont after the erroneous but too common
pronunciation, or teftendnt, as is right
WHY not rather spell It lieutenant, and in
the exercise of our inalienable right OF free
speech call it as we please? Speaking Of
military titles. il the much-desiderated one
were spelt kurnei. who would answer to
il? We have personal interest in copserva-
tlsm IN this matter, for what would be.
come of many sn association Of childhood
and youths untroubled hours il Pel-Me'
should cease to be written Pall.Mall; IL Sill
lineer should lose its wel-known visible
form, st. Leger; il our venerable huyial
friend, the noble Tens, should vanish from
atlas and newspaper in bis proper shape OF
Thames. The thought is dreadful; we are
in no frame Of mind TO pursue the subject
further now. but may return to 1t when the
settlement OF the State debt and other affairs
OF kindred importance has rendered our
mental state somewhat more equanimous,
with the hope of showing how mitey slight
is the connection between the sign OF the
symbol of thought and the symbo itself.
Enrol.