The silver state. [volume] (Unionville, Nev.) 1870-1903, 1886-10-29
ENGLISH SPELLING.

To THE EDITOR OF THE LONDON TIMES
Sir: During the last ten years l have
been collecting mistakes, frequently
made, from dictations, letters, essays,
ETC., and after having collected some
seven hundred, and printed them with
few special rules, | still find difficulty
in laying down an absolute law for GER
tain number of words for want of some
fixed authority in England, such as the
Academy in France. ''Rateable" is, |
find, the popular spelling, but all the die.
tionaries / have consulted give ''raiable," )"
though both forms have existed side by
side for more than two centuries. de-
batable" aud "debateable" also both ex-
ist j find "debatable" in the Times of
Monday. June l4th, bearing out the rule
i had given that Words ending in e
before able drop the when not required
to soften the pronunciation of the last
consonapt OF the word, as biamable, low
able, etc., but changeable, peaceable. etc.
Again the spelling 'license" predom-
mates in several hundred collected quota
tions both as substantive and verb.
though the popular spelling is ''license"
for the verb and 'licence" for the sub.
stantive, the chronological in the first
case having strangely become s. This
may be by analogy with "advise and
advice" practise and practice,
"prophesy and prophecy" in all of
which the verb takes the g.. Then, mod
ern spelling gives Judgment" ''abridg-
ment," acknowledgment" but we retain
the in management, enlargement, "
engagement" etc.
Among double forms Of spelling we
have ecstasy and extasy," ''connexion
and connection" ''inflexion and inflec-
tion," despatch and dispatch, " villain
Gus and villanous, negotiable and nego-
ciable," in all of which one can but
bracket the words and say the former
spelling is preferable. "Reiexion" is
generally found used in a physical and
"rehection" in mental sense.
Again, the important rule that Verbs
ending in single consonant preceded by
a single vowel double this cousonant
when adding ed or ing only if accented
on the last syllable, though apparently
respected by American writer's and leNi-
cographers, is violated by English writ
ers in more than twenty verbs ending in
|, as cancel, equal, level, label. marvel,
quarrel, rival, travel, etc, and also in
the verb worship" and the in benefit,
ballot, carpet, ETC.. is sometimes doubled,
though i notice the Times always ad
heres to one t. Modern spelling appar
emily prefers inquire" to the elder Sen
quire," and there are other double spell
Ings IN en- and in.
If these anomalies, exist, cannot see
what authority is followed by examiners
il the various competitive examinations
here a few so-called mistakes might
make the difference to passing or failing
on the part of a candidate I noticed
"develope" in letter recently written
to the Times by a late Cabinet Minister.
but presume this was an oversight on
the part of the writer and reader.
hope when the English dictionary,
at present being prepared under the su-
pervision of Dr. Murry is completed,
some Of the above difficulties in English
spelling may be cleared up and that a
fixed standard may exist. Yours faith
fully.
The EDITOR OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOL
SPELLING CARD.