The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-05-25

the process of smsIting, se0nln0 -
moulding into perfect form bofoUo ~
can receive the impress a. ~ m0mD
Of the best society" and 60 ~
current among the best speakes9I
rich coin Of speech
Where this standard can be found
man cannot hope to have the bene0
Of the association with thoss w.
make golden speech. q he van -
feel that his children, for whom he Ia
bors. are at least trying to reach or
rect speech from ~undoubted authority
In the school where they daily attend.
Is there, he asks. one standard In our
language for the lower strata. and
andar for the higher strata OF En-
glish-speaking people? And we an
swer no; the w~orkingman. an wen ~
the most cultivated literary asplrAnt.
has the equal Disadvantages Of not BE-.
ing able to adjust his pronunciation -
any fixed standard. for we hav no die
tionary nor n n authority consid-
cred the standard of fixed orthoepy for
the millions who speak the language.
The language. in regard to prouuucia-
ton, has, unfortunately. many trreg-
ularfties that cannot be subjected to
general rules. Many o~rthoeplsta hovo
spent their lives trying TO settle these
Irregularities. but up to the present
day. though much a been done. We
have a new p~ronouncing manual thrust
pom us every year.. and We become
more bewildered than ever In dec3dtug
our choice for the best or most corr
rect pronunciation Of words. UF. John
son. the great DR.. johnson. saiA The
best general rule for pronuuctattou 10
to consider those as the most eloquent
speakers who deviate least from the
written words.
How about Cirencester CherIsey and
schedule. Thames. ETC.? pronounced ~
Siseter-cheese. Tens and shedule. u.
Johnson? But he little realized what
an impetus the idea may lay given
the advocates Of phonetic spelling
DIR. Johnson, more than any
still gives US the correct meaning OF
words. but the delicate task OF setting
the fashion for the shades and tones Of
h tongue sounds a long since
passed away with his old bun coat and
brass buttons IL IL to later and more
fashionable authorities we must turn
for guidance in his respect
Perhaps 1t nay simplify matters for
The perpIexed to say there are o
more han 1000 English words of any
important doubtful pronunciation This
Sttlflc u EIllaAA
when we remember there are several
thousand words in u language. Many
Of these. however, being foreign. are
controlled by the same rules which
govern in their own language. Unless
being Incorporated into n language.
then they are subject to III rules both
of photography m orthoepy.
1t o seem then an easy matter
TO study the manner of the best ORTIZ
oepists on these 1000 doubtful words
and so leave no excuse for the blatant
mistakes N errors we daily lear from
so-called educated people But we
must find out the best orthoepists who
can give Us the methods approved by
the most ~fastidious speakers. The
orthoepists of England n the orthOe-
pists of America give totally different
ounds to the same words. Which =
we to accept. for there are 10 many
orthoepists In both countries?
Walker believed that where the au-
thorities are divided. analogy being -
~precarious as 1t is. usage should Be the
umpire. But usage" where and
among whom? Does he mean the
usage" prevailing in America among
the majority as to Numbers. or the
usage" prevailing among only the
most cultured society In both CONN
tries? OF course. he means only the
most cultured society In both places.
but as Walker In not regarded n0Wa-
days by even the most f~asti1ious
speakers he counts but little. ~ how
should any one. save an Irishman. who
advises "yis' for 'yes?"
The English language. we know. Ia
as much subject to change Of fashion
as are the fashions OF hair, dress and
from to age or soaoe0 to
season. snd IL Is the fashionable cotarte
OF the best society" that sets this
fashion In speech and pronunciation
And the best orthoepists are those -
cialists who mark these changes from
time to time. n give NJ the benodt
Of what In known a. the latest and
o approved method In p~ronune1a-
ton"
Very often q word and the manner
OF pronouncing IL becomes current
among the fashionable coterie before it
In fairly recorded by the ~orthoeptstR
The fashionable set where the change
of pronunciation occurs 10 usually hat
known as 'the best London socteey."
Here In found the most correct pronun-
citation oil the English language In the
world. There il no higher authority
for English speaking people. London
Ii the center Of the best English lit
erature in the English language. and
orthoepists take their cue from this
fashionable best society rather than
the fashionable best society AXE
their cue from he orthoeDistsL
Most American orthoepists have eon-
formed to the London standard. and
English orthoepists are NJ much used
in America to-day as In England This
at least shows q great advance toward
reaching a ike standard Of orthooDy.
just Row far Americans must fol-
low the usages Of this London socie-
ty' Is left to each Individual American
to decide for himself. u ~orthoeptots
leaving to their adherents . wida mar
gin for choice. None are quite 90 sSoi-
trary as Webster. who gav Def Cor
deaf. herd for heard. vol-um for vel
ume.
Nor In this country. n In England.
do We NJ patent for patent. 10uer
for figure. shed-ule for sch46.u1e.
fra-ka for fracas. nor clark for elogk.
though % years ~ everybody 80
ounce merchant" like WAf-chant.
"sar-mon" for sermon "Qpe3TSa"