The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-08-04
THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF LANGUAGE.

That the future OF the English Ian
guage should be subject to serious con-
Germ in two English-speaking countries
simultaneously is assuredly somewhat
promising. The London News but late
ly announces its belief that America is
making the English tongue of the future,
and that, as American will doubtless be
the language of the world, Americans
should gravely ask themselves if they
are making that language wisely and
well. This critic deprecates not only
the "wishy-washy, everlasting food" of
slang and newfangled terms which is
sweeping over press and general litera-
ture, but the meaningless and unholy
perversion of noble words to fantastic
and ignoble uses. In the same vein, n.
A. Campbell, in the North American Re-
view for July, issued a spirited call
for an American Academy of Lam
guage, to protect the mother
tongue against the unavoidable i'm
press made by foreign elements, and the
more censurable influence of domestic
ingrates, who elect themselves to coin
queer words and take other unpardOna-
of thought-expressiOn. 1t is this wri-
ter's intelligent idea that such an acad-
emy-a choice assortment of American
immortals, representing every section
of the country, and including linguists
and scholars from the best colleges and
universities-wOuld win the respect of
the Nation and establish standard of
photography and pronunciation which
would reconcile the differences of lex
icOgraphers and be accepted authority
for all America. He fOresees that the
scholars of England would cooperate
with this institution, and advises, for it's
financial foundation and sustenance, the
appliance of q part of the much-dis-
cussed government surplus-the whole
to be a national monument to national
culture, wisdom and patriotism. Surely
the sentiment of both English and Amer
lean critics must find harmonious echo in
the heart and head of every true lover
of "the well of pure English" Even in
vision alone there is solace in the
hope that at the hands of the prospect
i've American Academy the perennial
dialect-maker Of the American magazine
may be furnished bare bodkin of re-
proof or disapprOval with which to
make his unregretted quietus. Under
that wise administration, too, doubtless,
all distOrting dictionary readers and &C.
centric word builders may find them
selves high and dry on back shelves of
secondhand book stores, with none SO
poor to do them reverence. Sinners of
this class, however, are not native to
America only. Itwas an English novel.
list who wrote of ga bosky-looking spot,
the residential umbrage of another
peer" and also of "the lurching rever-
beratiOns of the freight" Amelie
Rives's linguistic delirium tremens are
too familiar to be quoted, and Edgar
Saltus's most remarkable heroine-"a
fetching young woman, with eburn-
can skin, and iserine eyes, whose
stockingless feet tinkled on the
hoorn-"bells on her toes" no doubt
"and who paced the room, rest
less as a panther, lashing the furniture
with her skirts" is, beyond cavil, de-
ranged creature, for whose confinement
20 fictiOnal boundaries a nervous reading
public cannot be too thankful.
If, in addition to securing unity, pre-
venting sectionalism, and abolishing dia-
lect-which three valuable Offices are be-
spoken for the American Academy by it's
projector-it can be guaranteed compe-,
tent to do battle with the lingual fantas-
tics born of certain new school of fiction,
its speedy naturalization will be devout-
ly wished.