Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-08-12
Spelling Reform.
Quar-. Rev. NJ. E. ch. S.

=. ~ o'SAtchN lOl I6lOEul vi E0R-
lish spelling has made great progress
In the last ten years. The English
Pathological Society and the American
Pathological Society, embracing the
foremost scholars OF the two countries,
have by unanimous votes taken action
In favor OF reform. In both countries
spelling reform associations have been
formed and are at work. In 1879 the
New York Home Journal adopted the
following rules, based upsn the re-
concentrations of the Pathological
Society and the Spelling Reform Asso-
citation:
l. Drop ue at the end of words like
dialogue, catalogue, where the preced
ing vowel is sshort. Thus, spell dema-
cog, pedagog, epilog, synagog, etc.
Change tongue for tung. When the
preceding vowel is long, as in pro
rogue, vogue, disembogue, rogue, re-
tain final letters as at present.
2, Drop final Q in such words a.
definite, infinite, favorite, where the
preceding vowel is short. Thus, spell
epposlt, preterit, hypocrit, requisit,
etc. When the preceding vowel ia
long, as in polite, finite, invite, unite,
etc., retain present form unchanged.
3. Drop final te in words like quar-
tette, coquette, cigarette. Thus spell
cigaret, rOset, epaulet, vedet, gazet,
etc.
4. Drop final me in words like pro-
gramme. Thus spell program, orifam,
gram, etc.
5. Change ph for f in words like
phantom, telegraph, phase. Thus
spell alfabet, paragraf, filosofy, fonetic,
fotograf, etc.
Z. S.-No change in proper names,
The objects Of Spelling Reform are
briefly set forth:
], To facilitate the acquizition of
English spelling; and thereby
2, enabling children and adults to
lern reading who ar at present unable
to do so;
3, shortening the time spenti in lern-
ing to read;
a, facilitating the aCquizition Of
the ordinary spelling;
D, efecting saving Of national ex.
penditure; and
8, spreading the knoledg of English
among fOrein nations.
Z, To remoov genealogical mislead
ing spellings.
In discussing the causes of the
difficulty of English spelling, Mr.
Sweet tells us that English spellins
is difficult becauz it is unfonetic- =
becauz the correspondence between
sound and symbol is imperfect. 1t il
unfonetic becauz it is traditional
becauz it represents the sounds not O
the nineteenth but of the sixteenth
century. Thus knight was foneti
spelling in the sixteenth century
becauz it represented pronunciation
which, in German spelling, would b
represented by KNIGHT; it is now un
| tonetic becauz three out of five con
sonants OF the words are not pro
nounced at all, while the i has lost it
original sound. English spelling i
untonetic: l, in keeping silent letters
| 2, in keeping the same symbols TO
sounds that have diverged, as IN had
hard, was, hate, water; 3, in keepinl
different symbols for sounds that ha,
couvergcd, as in name, fail, weight
great"
The remedy will be found in makinj
English spelling fonetic. "The idea
OF a fonetic alfabet is: /, one sound foi
each symbol, and 2, one symbol fo
each sound. The nearer an orthograt,
approaches 20 this ideal, the easier it i
to read. The practical test of foneti
orthografy is that it is lernt withou
spelling lessons beyond the mere
acquizitiOn of the sounds of the ele
mentary symbols. Theze Requirement I
may be fulfld more or less perfectly b.
4 variety of systems"
This ideal requires thorough. goinG
reform with a new allabet. But tho
prejudice against unfamiliar forms il
so strong that there is little hope oi
persuading the people to accept al
present a scientific reconstruction Of
English spelling. Hence we are told
that changes of spellings which ocui
very often, such as infeotional S, and
of very common words, such as of,
should be avoided at first. In this
opinion | cannot agree with the
society. However, If the changes
proposed should be accepted, others
will soon follow. The main object al