New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-05
THE STANDARD DICTIONARY.'
MISCONCEPTIONS OF ITS AIMs-vIEws OF EMI-
NENT CRITICS.

NENT CRITICS.
To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: The London letter april 81 OF your delight
full and very able correspondent, &c. w. S. has
been, we find enormously understood by several
OF your readers as Directing the scientific alpha
bet used as a key in the respelling for pronuncia-
ton In The Standard Dictionary" The objection
mentioned by your correspondent, IL | err not in
no way refers to this alphabet, Du; lies wholly
against what is known In England as the "Ameri-
spelling OF certain words; as. the dropping or
"a In color, labor, humor; the dropping OF one OF
the double consonants, as 'T' in trave.er; Inc
ending in ter instead OF tire" theaer. meter.
etc. AS your correspondent happily suggests the
rut is worn too deep to get America to go back
to the Old FORMS even were this desirable The
letter of your correspondent was so friendly that
II would seem ungracious 10 take exception TO any
part OF II.
VIII you. however, permit me to mention the
several general rules directions that have been
followed by the editors of the STANDARD In
their simplify the spelling of words? 1t
has been kept always in mind that the province Oh
a. dictionary is to record. to reflect usage; not,
except in q very limited degree, to create H. Wnen
there are In use different forms of a word, the
photographer must almost always record his pref
erence. and in this way we cannot but give d.
rection or emphasis to usage. In the standard
the fact has been recognized that there is driit
In the language; slow. perhaps, bat real IN tne
direction of the least resistance" that Is tow
ard simplicity. Between two spellngs OF a woro'
each supported by good authority, preference mas
been given to the simpler form" as in the drop
ping of the dphthong in such words as esthetcs
archaeology fetus homeopathy; in the omission OF
the dIaresis always, as in cooperation, Zoology III
the dropping Of silent lctters as III Cocoa peuuer
saviour. Vocabulary places nave been gwen u 'ne
phonetic forms of the $3.50 words suggested Dy the
American Pathological Association, ana tne aner rih
DE-, tcso art
the principles approved by the Philoogical SocietS
England These I iaeupe and the United
States 1t has been thought that u me ber in
his recognition Of a form or of word, surrey
the authority OF eminent philooSists OF thf W.
great English speaking nations, as pr Wh mrrs
joyce and Max Muller. Of oxford and Proie isI
Skeat of Cambridge would Justify our recognition
~ these simp,er forms The editors OF the stan stan
dard" have been careful TO Introduce no M ,he
OF their own hey nave rSet s in Per judgment are
cod authorities in the use of English woris ne
cSanges for ,sr as'sace eb aSGR quinn suifur
are such only as particularly recommenq isa
American Society for the Advancement Of science
In every such case, however, the oder FORM as. @
heen recognized And the aim has been 10 50 U.S.
the Scientific Alphabet the respehnS i2r pro
nunciation that the eye would baSe when the
sneling of English becomes scientlnc anu 80 60, uo
this that would not PrSl"IS y f Ss device
the two methods Of spelling. the common anu 'ie
scientific are given s. by side .o,
In a comparatively slight matter your cor - th
dent srrs in thinking that few critics approve OF tn
order of usage followed in the Standaru, t. he
~ nlocinp the most common meaning Hrst' anu sic
obsolescent and obsoete meanings after the nEins
meanings and last of all the etymoogy Ut; MuI
rav the scholarly EDITOR of the great New Engis"
nic,ionarv" of oxford, in speaking OF the Stanu-
ard says that "as practical matter IN pOpdea.
dictionary the order of usage has the prep0nuieebL
ance of reasons in its favor. Clement j.. S1ri'i;;
the dean Of Harvard University ana professor S S
latin who is a recognized AUTHORITY says - ~
nan appears to me admirable. The placing OF t a
eymolosy after the definition IS so b opv was not
tb6mght Of before" The critic in the London Nes,,
minister Gazette% March 2D v tninks calls ii ( Feb
r,ary 5S) IAN excellent reform. and me fre re =,
mans Journal dublin, The HarT TSn SewYork
Ont'ooE'' Or Lyman Abbott, editorl Inc Sqn q,
school Times" The Boston Daily Hepa,u ,nst n
IT Ward tne critic) are among the many thdt ~ ~.
nrove OF the more than FIVE hundred reSisws -
have been received less than dozen uisapSIy''
this order of usage l. ~ fO-'
NeW-Yori April %, 1891.