The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-01-21
Tho Spelling reform Moyement.

The conservatism Of educated men has
been such as to generally oppose every.
thing like rapid progress in tho reform,
But gradually the scholastic element is
being invaded. The intrinsic merits OF
the reform are such as to not only keep Il
alive but to commend it here and there to
scholars Of acknowledged repute. Very
few Of the colleges have paid any attention
to It as yet. Nevertheless several College
professors Of established reputation have
enlisted themselves among its well wishers,
andseveral Of them among its active friends.
The President OF Lafayette College, Penn
syiwnta, is one OF the latter, as arc also
Professor Barnard Of Columbia College,
New York, Professors Toy and Child Of
Harvard, vice.President Nelson OF St.
Johns College, Maryland, and Professor
Price OF the University of Virginia.
In England several noted professors arc
counted among its friends, and among these
are Max Muller, Of Oxford, Prof. sayce,
also Of Oxford, and Prof. skeat, Of Cam
bridge.
We simply cite these names to show to
the readers Of the fSTELLGENcER that the
movement 10 reform the ridiculous spelling
Of the English language, to which we have
several times called attention during the
last few years, is not likely to die out, but,
on the contrary, is likely to live and spread,
until in another generation our language
will be almost as much simpliGed as COM
pared with to-day, as the spelling Of to-day
has been simpIified as compared with the
days OF Chaucer and spenser.
Some of the reforms that have been intro
duced and generally accepted will require
new letters. The ideal alphabet for which
the most radical reformers contend calls for
a disticct sound for every letter and dis
tinct letter for every sound. This, Of course,
involves some new letters, and this neces.
sity is one reason why the reform has not
become more popular. New letters do not
look natural aud familiar, and they must
work their way on their merits in the
"ionetiC spelers," There are, however, a
multitude Of words that are being REFORM
ell simply by elimination. Several news
papers have adopted the new spelling as to
u considerable list Of words, the Chicago
Tribune particularly. Some two or three
years ago set of rules for reform us to Ger
tsin common words were adopted by the
Reform Association, and they have boen
adopted by large number OF writer's.
Among these rules were tho following:
/, Omit "a" from "e" when pronounced
as sc" short, as in "hed, helth," etc;
2, omit silent 80" after short
vowel, as in shay, CIV" etc;
s, write APP for "ph" in such
words as "alfabet, fantom," etc;
4, when word ends in double letter,
omit the last, rs in ''shal, cliff, eg," ETC.; 5,
change led" to 1T" where it has the sound
OF 1t, us in "hsht, imprest," etc. Beyond
all expectation have these rules been taken
up and adopted practically. Hundreds Of
instances ofnewspaper and periodical usage
can be cited by the officers OF the associa-
ton, who are on the lookout for signs Of the
times in which the rules are followed in
whole or in part.
A list Of eleven words, put out Jointly by
the spelling reform association and by the
American pathological association, has
found ready adoption in many quarters.
They arc; "Ar, catalog, detinit, gard, Civ,
hay, inlinit, liv, tho, thru, wisht." These
are only particular applications Of the above
rules. They call for no new letters; they
change the appearance Of tho old words
us to but little; they involve no doubt
whatthey are; they can be easily used by
any printing Office and by any scribe. They
are becoming popular. Another sign Of the
times is in the still further disuse Of silent
endinGs. The final "te" Of "ttc," the "men
Of "mme," the ugh" of cough" in
thorough" at tho end Of the names Of
towns, these and like useless letters are now
dropped in newspapers which retained
them till recently and which pride them.
selves upon their correct English.
As we have noted, the spelling reform is
taking root among the scholars Of England.
A late English bulletin RECOMMENDED n 70.
form backwards as TO certoin words, sps.
costing n return to the old historical form
which was much moro nearly "fonetic" IN
It's character as respects tbe smelling TIM,
the older and better form Of rbymois rimo
Of ache and anchor AXE ond snlor ~
could, coud Of receipt, receit; ofaisle ails.
Of scythe, sythe; Of scent, sent. Of onco
onse OF cinder, sinder; Of debt, dot; Of