The Dickinson press., 1895-02-23
ENGLISH PROPER NAMES.
The Language Is Suffering From
British Mispronuncintion.

The Language Is Suffering From
British Mispronuncintion.
1t is sometimes said in Jest, though
an element of truth underlies the as
sertiOn, that the only safe rule for the
pronunciation Of English proper names
is not to pronounce them as they are
spelled. No one, say the logicians, can
prove a negative, but the Boston
Transcript recently published list of
English names with their spelling and
pronunciation, which goes far. to es-
tablish negative proposition, to which
reference is made.
The transcripts list is ss follows the
first word being the spelling, the Sec
Ond the pronunciation. Woodnesbo-
rough, Winsbro; Woodmancote, Wood
mucket; Wymondham. Windam; Yad-
dlethorpe, Yalthrup: Gainsborough,
Gainsber; Eskdalc. Ashdale; Bramp-
ton Brian. Brawn; Brighthelmstone,
Brytum; Hallahorn, Horn; Meddle-
thorpe. Thelthrup; Marylebone, Marry
bone; Ubrome, Ooram; Uttoxeter, Tuxi-
ter; Rampisham. Ransom; Perensey,
Pinsey; Coxwold, Lockwood; Crost-
wright, Corsit: Holdsworth, Holder;
Skiddaw, Skiddy.
10 this list may be added the familiar
names Of Cholmondeley, pronounced
Chumley; Sevenoaks, pronounced SEN
niks; Colquloun. called Koohoon;
Beauchamp, called Beecham; Duchesne,
Dukarn; and Abergavenny, pronounced
Abergenny, one syllable disappearing
entirely. This is, Of cource, a very in
complete list, but it goes far to sup
port the proposition that the spell ng
Of an English proper name is a very
unsafe guide to its pronunciation.
Why, for example, should Derby be
pronounced Darby" or clerk CLARK"
or Magdalen cheapened into "AIand-
l1n:' What has become of the grand,
round, moutll-flling o's and as of which
Tennyson discourses?
In all linguistic changes, especially
as are created by elision and abbrevia.
tion, euphony plays an important part.
The tongue will utter and repeat the
sounds which strike most pleasantly
upon the human ear, as is evidenced
by the fact that uneducated people uni.
formly say II seen" and II done" in
stead of I saw" and II did" the
sound Of the following the vowel
being more agreeable to the natural
ear than the grammatical form Of the
preterite. This rule, howevr, when ap-
piled to the English proper names
mentioned, does not account for the
changes from spelling to pronunciation.
The changes seem to be a case Of lazi-
ness in articulation rather than
change in accordance with euphonic
rules, and yet the English constantly
taunt Americans with slipshod pronun-
citation and with slurring their VOW
els.
The fact is that the very best Eng
lish in the world is spoken by educated
and cultured Americans. 1t may be
that our women pitch their voices in
key higher than English women, and
that some of them talk more rapidly
than is necessary, but, nevertheless,
no Englishman ever fails to under
stand an American, while many Eng
lishmen, especially Of the globe trot-
ting species, to which we are most ac-
customed here in San Francisco. SO
chew and humble and half swallow
many Of their words that it almost re-
quires the services Of an interpreter
to comprehend them.
AS to American proper names, it
must be admitted, though reluctantly,
that there are occasional blots OH our
scutcheon. There is seaboard city,
the name of which is spelled Baltimore
and yet, by those to the manor born,
Is called "Baltimah,'' and western
city, whose official designation
is Terre Haute, is known in the
vicinage as '"rerry Hoot." These, how
ever. are only exceptions which prove
the rule that American names are pro-
nounced as they are spelled, and that
with such familiar names of places as
"Red Dog" "You Bet" Last Chance"
and 'Hangtown" there is no possibility
of concealing the true inwardness Of
their appellation by any corrupt or
fanciful method of pronunciation.-San
Francisco Chronicle.