The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-03-31
Phonetic Spelling.

III 7 e Hden. OF this city, has
~ ,o,iowine highly Interesting article IN
me Christian Herald OF Detroit Sie"'-
gan: -airg m sound
or shall we continue 20 spell on lhe orI
Doi,nc T'his question has been spruhs
nnnon rs bv a body Of scholarly phlloio,
gists. and Intelligent people VIII De o'"sS'
TO take sides. .h,s co,nec.
II may be worth while. IN TINS eonneo,
,ion 10 note tina d society IN Dehtli "
What is allied phonetic spelling, mas eN-
isted in England for years. lhey MAJ
hsd an organ called. The phonetic
News" At the time Of the publication Oh
Affords STRAY Notes on the Sueen'
English " this Journal had attained d CIR
rnnIstIon OF one thousand. Afford says
thar he cannot think that the
nhonettc system will ever prevail
generally among English writers. ana
while he does not object 10 any uesice "
which a shorthand reporter may aotlus.
his work. still he holds that our OBJECT
cha, Is the object " English writer's gem
erally). is not expeditions writlns oh!y,
nor IA IL easy spelling, nor uniformity IN
exercising the anne SOUNDS. Ano men
he adds the following thoughtIil para
graph: ,,.,mon,
which has been adapted 10 our use oy
nearly sixty centuries; which bears on II
the marks OF many a connlct OF tnousns
and belief, whose very uncertainties ~
anomalies. are records Of our intercourse
s.i,h other nations. and OF the agglomera-
lion OF our mingled English people. lou
may gain, with no great trouble, UNI
formfty OF spelling and Of pronunciation
according to spelling, but you vi. w.
AT the sacrifice OF far more IMAM inc
galn Is worth. A smooth front OF stucco
NAV be a comely thing for those that
ike IL but very few sensible men VIII
like IL IL they know that. In laying II on,
we are proposing TO obliterate the roush-
ness and mixtures OF styles, and traces
OF architecture transition from the ven
.rable front OF an ancient catnenfa.
n NAV be opser .ed that Afford mere
uses an architectural illustration, similar
in substance 10 one used by Professor
G. III. Toy. in discussing the same SUD
tect. I have quoted Dean Afford az some
length. because he gives tne suosnS
OF ehe most important argument against
the scheme OF phonetic spelling. On one
point. however. I must take issue Win the
dean. I do not believe that the REFORM
121 could be accomplished with no great
trouble on the contrary there are
strong historical and linguistic reasons
for the belief that the change, III mace at
All. must be made in the face OF many
and great difficulties.
Cicero vas one OF the greatest workeIs
10 introduce the word "vitiositas' into
the Latin language. The word seemed TO
sunply a real want In the language. u
was Thoroughly ATTN in substance and
In form. There seemed 10 he every rea.
son a priori 10 believe that the woro
would live. But II died. n never De-
came a part OF the Roman speech.
Samuel Taylor Coleridge. one OF the
most scholarly OF Englistmen. tried 10
give the word "esemplastic" TO our Eng
fish tongue; but the word could not noid
it's ground, and IL row as dead as Cole
ridge himself. The truth is tina these
words can hardly be said 10 have died
they were still-born. But. on the other
hand. the vulgar word mob holds Its
place In classic English. end the corrup-
ton. alligator" is domeaticated In IAN
guage. =.
Suppose we should all agree 10 spell
according 10 sound" would there be no
trouble In deciding what the sounds
should be? A good many New Englancers
call COW "keow," ,and stone stun" and
duty "doo.y." while not "a few Southern
ers pronounce dog "daug" or "dorg.'
Most virginians abhor tire final IT. and
Moses Addums." said '"rhe man VAS SO
DO. and his feet were so 40. he came into
the Hto'. and fell down on the no. right
close to tina do"
Are not the sounds OF the letters large
iy arbitrary, or conventional? What Ian
guage, ancient. or modern, ever hso oui
sound OF 90 In 'pine?'
The scheme of phonetic spelling Is one
which l should regard with some appre'
] hsnstnn- u I believed It practicable u