The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1885-10-31
PRONUNCIATION.
Vsns Hnexestions 10 Those who A1ecs n
Ne Purlsfs n Language


! The pronunciation Of English Is often
regarded q . touchstone which reveals
a person is well or ill-bg 4. and
% . certain extent the observation is
true Pronunciation is
,ne of the outward and visible signs
which most quickly betrays the lack Of
culture, and which. although the
speaker may year good clothes. betrays
also the presence Of vulgarity. But
here are two classes Of persons who
can not be set down as either vulgar or
vet who, ct the same time.
radically different views con-
corning She pronunciation Of numerous
English words One of these persons
occupies what he is pleased to call a
position. which may be
explained as follows; A word used in
common use is popularity pronounced
contrary to the method given by q
majority Of the photographers, yet
such pronunciation has the sanction
Of one or two good authorities. as
allowable. although perhaps not
preferable One common-sense man
says, there is authority for the popu-
lar pronunciation, and l propose to
adopt It rather than make my
self conspicuous by speaking differently
from ninety nine out of hundred Of
my countrymen." The person who
represents the other class is strict
purist. He adopts as his standard some
authority which he considers to be alb
solutely the best-genersny Worcester
or Wa1ker-and he will not allow the
correctness Of any pronunciation that is
not sanctioned by this authority The
one person accommodates himself to
popular usage whenever he can find
reasonably good authority for dong so;
the other is unbending. and claims that
common use has no right to acknowl-
edgment, but that what he considers
the best must always rule
In order 30 illustrate the difference
between these two classes Of persons.
let us select q few instances Of words
that are in dispute. Quite recently q
Boston purist has taken up the word
"arbutus :" In this country the name
trailing arbutus" has been improperly
applied to one Of our sweetest spring
flowers. since Arbttus Is the name of a
European genus of plant, none of which
are found here. The true botanical name
of our plant is Epigaea, and its proper
English designation should be ''may-
flower" name derived from the YES
sci in which the Pilgrims first came
hither, as the first flower that smiled
upon them when they landed on our
shores. How the other name also came
to be bestowed upon the same plant is
not definitely understood, but in many
parts of the land trailing arbutus' Is
the only name known for it Now. the
American pronunciation of arbutus
places the accent on the second sylla-
bic. and SOME of our best poets. MIR
Whittier and H H" among them
have used it in their verses " tn the
same accent. Common usage has
made the word SO pronounced a house
hold word throughout the land Blu,
the Boston purist mentioned brings for
ward quotations from Browning and
Cowper to show that the proper pro
nunciation would place the accent on
the first syllable; and inasmuch as the
word is Latin. he goes back to the Virgil
and produces line from the Georges
in which there is no escape from ac-
centing the first syllable. The ques
ton here. then. is whether. for the sake
of absolute accuracy. we shall aban.
don pronunciation endeared to every
one by the associations Of early life, OF
shall retain it marked with the guinea
stamp of popular use ? We do moi
apprehend that it will be abandoned
Now let us take another word that i,
of such recent adoption into the Ian
guage that its derivatives are not founo
in the latest edition of Webster. dyna
mite The purist refers you to Wor
cester and Smart for the pronunciatio OF
of the first syllable as if 1t were spelled
dan, and cites dynasty as analog,
for such pronunciation But the popu
lar usage gives the sound long i to dy
and instead of dynamite pronounces /
dynamite. This also is the pronunca
ton given by Webster, and Ayres, il
his 'Orthepist." says OF dynasty tina
Smart and some others say dn-asty
and this pronunciation is very common
though by many considered vulgar
There is very good authority. therefore
for the common pronunciation of tn,
word
Oasis is usually pronounced will
the accent on the second syllable, al
though most authorities place it on tn
first Yet Webster permits the accen
on the second, and says that either i
right; the common usage. therefore
has authority. There are several lon,
words the accent of which is given OF
the first syllable by most Of the authori
ties, but which popular use is changn.
to the second syllable. Such are sac
cessory,' in which the greater ease o
pronunciation has shifted the accent b
the second syllable. and discrepancy
of which the same statement is true.
But while there are these difference
Of opinion concerning certain words
between these two classes Of persons
the common-sense man no sooner thai
the purist would defend popular pro
nunciation wholly regardless of author
itY A few Of the more common mis-
pronunciations, heard from the lips o
those who ought to know better. are a
follows: ''Aspirant, with the accen
on the first instead of the second sylla
BILE; .'construe. accented on thesecon,
instead OF the first syllable; Finance,
accented on the first instead of the sec
ond, "harsss," accented on the secon,
instead of the first; ',decorous. &C
cented on the first instead Of the sec
ond, its proper analogy being witt
'.sonorous;" '.hiccough." with the sec
ond syllable pronounced like the singl
word cough instead of cup as !
ought to be; "oleomargarine," with tn
& pronounced like j. instead of bein,
hard as in gay pianist, accente'
on the first instead Of the second sylla
Bile; "trip-artite. accented on the sec
ond instead Of the first; ''vagary,' &C
cented ON the first instead OF the second
canine" with the accent on the frs
instead Of the second; deficit" &C
cented on the second instead of tn
first; yacht, pronounced "yat'' in
stead OF '.yot," as II should be; ''rail
lery, !" with the first syllable pronounce,
rail instead Of raj as it should be
and nomenclature " accented on tn
second instead OF the first. This lis
might be indefinitely extended. wit
common mispronunciations but thes
are few of the most fragrant. Utic
Aornsng Herald
For His Health's Sake.
T.