, 1880-03-14
ETYM0LOGY AND SPELLING Rrropr
0y ). A. II. Murray, LL. D., Preats.,&
OF the Pathological Society or r.s

| gland. a.@
! From tho New York Ind<pendrne Nareh,,
I FEB. H. 1SU--The following extracts ar nv. !.
letter recently adrest hi the President nv ~
PATHOLOGICAL Society, Dr.. ]. A. H. Murray. IN - =
member oF the English Spelling Reform Asoci.-
uon au aao rltn tu him In referenc to the naa.
agcs from Archbishop Trench's buks urs.
studi OF Wurds" and English, Past and Pro-
ent, SO ofn quoted agenst eny attempt tn re,1-
tn the rational sistem Of spelling which formesie
rutd in our languaj. @o'"Efay
DR.. Murray is engajd in editing MI ptcgo..
ary oy the English languaj, the frst imnu;so =
which was giyu bt DR.. Trench himself rpao, q
two yers ago. and :or which the Philolotical a.
Dictionary will If posiul, be completed in II rass
and 1t Is intended that first part oy 100 naeas'
containing @ the Letter 4, shal be Iedy in 1851
question Is tr11-to biologists, Indeed, sucS t,,a
ism, long ago settled and don with that il il vsa
surprised regret that one Is recalled to The rrn.
rance al the deeper becaus huged with t,,chins Nv
simplicity, IN the belefe that it is grounded on
- Il IS not only pttiful to Sc the e1nrp,to,. =.
archbishop Trench-urtered Just quarter
pre-scientific baby hood, and scarcely awhile
save the outward forms in which it hsd eo%
down to US in MS. Or print,-quoted agenst the
EaaGnal ,resf rfeGnstructt9a Of our spelling 6ut
then stood so vel In the front Of aIoIoc1l my ~
VIC may be perfectly sure that, IL lesnre haJ
tie nun to Eh sa1e he
no one as spelling 1eformer- For hloloRY hss
long since penetrated the mere drapeTY. nd
grapled with the study OF words not a. dd
MARKS, but living realities, and for these dyfne
realities It first of al demands: Rite them -
they ar; Civ US facts, and not fiction, to hande.'
But' OF eorse, none OF rs new this IN 1856 We
wer stu busy with the drapery, and irate at ths
sacrilisius fonetists who would dare to saltsr
our language. 4 little nolege il a dnugcrus
ehtng.-wheu it does not recognize it's lltlena1
nor 81 gain In A. AMOUNT in 1--WE and twenty years
others to tel. cannot spare time to rte M
peFs. The more get into the dictionary tha
more feel that it IS nfe-work, and takes u
meeting; but must hasten to get the nrs< parf
OF the dictionary out, for that believe, Vii sup-
ply AMMUNITION to kil the chronological dragon.
sien w there see that the current spelling Is
passing Ease, with no conservation, no titlesdeeds
one OF dozen fashions which may hav preced-
ca II. and as open to change as its predecessor
@ aecesa1y at every turn to speak Of i as tbs
ent fashion OF rittng the word ETC., to remind
people that words are living and Rroto9 yesIf-
res; and forms Of spelling but their pictnfes,-ln
modern fashion too often their caricatures,
- AS to practical measures, strongly apprra
d gradual steP5: II spelling reformers vii axrs
% list OF mediate changes, and plege them
hem y IN doing 50; II som hundreds ct men vi
10 this It cannot be lated down. woud hayo
Isl drawn up OF words on which there would be
}, general neral, agrement7 excluding for tho present
oouttul words, but including al those ike
do, g'u. edtdln0, tun0. det, dout, cot1d, sopein,
'ud> prest- decH, huse superfus letters are both
y2n<ttc and unhtstoTic, in order to mako be-
CAL eal one, 20 that people woud be forced to say:
qe15s esf1ed + better h hwa The nu must believe
cen The Americans are trying to d. this, md
bcleFe that they vii succede.