The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1888-01-15
Tho Dantists and Danteists Of Chicago.

Tho DantistS and DanteistS OF Chicago.
We nave moro than once mentioned with
respectful consideration the great DANTE Club
movement now going on in Chicago. That
hundreds or more Of tho beautiful women and
strong men Of that ambitious and active set
Element should even temporarily estrange
themselves from their contemporary world
Of pork and dressed beef to walk the pictur-
esque streets of the Florence Of the thir-
teenth century, seemed and seems to us q
blessed thing. But in the interest Of knowl-
edge we brought forward the fact that some
of the DANTE scholars Of Chicago use but
one syllable to pronounce him, while others
use two.
Our esteemed contemporary, tho Chi
cago Mail "the organ of tho DANTE
clubs of Chicago" calls our attention to the
interesting fact that at o recent meeting Of
one OF those clubs twenty-five out Of the
forty-three ladies present voted in favor of
the d~issyllabic pronunciation OF the name
DANTE, and at was formally adopted as the
Official pronunciation Of the club" This Is
satisfactory as far as 1t goes, though the
dissyllabists are seen to be in a bare major
ity, and those in favor of the ~monosyllabic
pronunciation may rally at some future
meeting and settle the question the other
way. Moreover. though the fact is carefully
concealed by the organ of the DANTE clubs"
neither the mo~nosyllabists nor the dissyllab-
lists are agreed among themselves as to
the proper pronunciation Of the name OF the
poet whom they delight to honor. The ma
jority Of the monosyllabists say "DANT,"
making it rhyme with pant. A smaller but
influential faction give the word a broad
sound, and say "DAUNr," making 1t rhyme
with vaunt. A still smaller but vigorous
party contend that the anne rhymes with
paint. or the d~issyllabists the majority, as
we are informed, prefer to pronounce the
word as II 1t were spelled DAINTY" The
more cultured d~issyilabists, however, soy
"DANTE," with a strong accent on the ulti-
mate syllable. The pronunciation DARN
TAY" has only here and there q supporter.
It will DO seen that until tho monosyllab-
lists unite upon a m~Onosylablo p%ronuncia-
ton and the dissyllabists upon q d~issyllabic,
no ~concordat between them will be possible,
and the hoped-for day Of a compromise pro-
nuncIation must DO long postponed. At the
same time the contest Is one which cannot
but sharpen the faculties and broaden the
CulblSuIAOh Va ShASotSoo u SOOoA 400
Students Of DANTE all over the world S-e in-
torested In the discussions conducted by the
Chicago DANTE or DANT clubs. Coming to
the study Of the great Florentine without
any OF those prepossessions or that narrow
pride of scholarship which might be pro-
duced by a knowledge Of italian and Latin
and Provencal, the Chicago D%antephiles are
able to throw considerable light upon them
selves. il not upon the obscure passages In
the works Of their favorite poet.
As an evidence OF the advanced state Of
Dantesque studies In the Garden City Of
Illinois, we are able to present tho following
brief but able replies given by some Of
Chicago's leading literary lights in answer
to the following interrogatories:
- How do yeu pronounce DAsrEi
~ How do you pronounce ALIGHIEnr
"a. What u DATES treatise De Vulgart EIoQutoi
- What language or languages did DAHrE write I'M
80. Do you prefer the Vta Euoea 70 the COapltoi
sour object In making these inquiries Is 20 Asc srtsin
Y thsEs y . eoassnsas of opinion tn regard 70 thsss
psants sxAaAs tss nsss Distinguished oAioAso ntssssss"
Replies were received from the Hon. Az
DEW 6xuNAk st the Journal. the Hon.