The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-01-30

ject was participated in by the teachers
Of the Irving school.
! A series of papers on the Sources Of
! English Words" came next:
l. Anglo-Saxon; its character, scope and
! effect on English-Miss Taft.
! 2. The Latin element; it's character,
| scope and effect on English-Miss MiIlen.
3. The Nerman-F French element; its
character, scope and influence on English
Miss Shaw.
4. Other sources-Greek, italian, Celtic,
Spanish, Arabic, etc, with their charac-
ter, scope and effect on English-Miss
| Carpenter.
It was shown that in the formation Of
the English language many languages
have contributed more or less, yet the
English has been formed mainly from the
Anglo-Saxon; and the contributions to it
next in Importance to those from the
Anglo-Saxon are derived from the Latin,
through the Norman-French. One young
lady constructed some sentences, every
noun and two verbs therein being from
Spanish derivation. They were as fol-
lows: Having survived a hurricane and
an ambuscade Of cannibals and guerriIlas,
the grandee in bravado rode to his ranch,
with a cargo of tobacco, cochineal, choco-
late and vanilla in a cask. A cigar and
banana for comrades, a assoc and a po-
tato for his talisman, proud as a commo-
dore he rode. But a negro corralled by
a mosquito singing like a dulcimer stirred
up buffalo, which soon capsized our Don
and made him feel like a BOBBY"
Mr.. Stewart read a ten-minute paper on
Studies in Word History taking up the
Anglo-Saxon, Latin, French and other
derivatives.
This subject was discussed by the Nc
Cormick school Miss Leichardt spoke OF
two societies which have been formed in
America TO study the growth and life OF
our language. One is the Modern Ian
guage association of America and the
other the Dialect society The problem
is being simplif1ed by the defining of the
outlines of the chief dialect centers and
currents. Questions were made out and
sent to all parts of the country. It was
distinctly emphasized that what was
wanted was a report of natural speech
without regard to what teachers and die
tiOnaries say is correct. The list sent out
is q very interesting one and the replies
when collected and tabulated will no doubt
be equally so.
present Status Of English Diction' was
the subject of a paper by Mrs. Horton.
Among other things. Mrs. Horton said
that IN diction the barries of exclusive
nationalities are fast disappearing. Easy
communication and popular culture are
+1,o nd
astic caste. until we are beginning to ac-
the consciousness of universal brother
hood We no longer sit with sanctimo-
NOUS gaze and thank the Lord we are
not as other people. We are willing to
learn from the stranger within our gates,
and even from the Philisune across the
border.
where can be found so many instances
of words. in everyday use, well under
Stood recognized in every way as Eng
lish as in the columns of our leading
magazines and the press. Here the cos
mOpolitan spirit Of our diction finds full
play. Here technical names of science
are popularized and popular words are
Anglicized. Soon such words as electro
cution, Roentgen rays, germ theory, etc,
come the common stock of all.
I'VE do not love machine-made uniform
ity and classification these business days.
We telescope trains, put up resistance and
wholesale goods. Slang casts its false
blossoms and the sound core survives 1t
serves its apprenticeship with "Chimmie
Fadden" till the public recognizes it as
the coinage Of a thought. The slang Of
this generation is the classical language
of the next The word may have been
produced from the dust of the earth; it
gets hard knocks, sees questionable So
ciety, learns the hard way Of life, creeps
into a good story now and then, and is
glad of shelter; is sung in little melody.
fills a gap in speech, points story of real
life. flashes on the world at last in a
tale of genius and loi it is famous and
the dictionary swings wide its covers to
receive the new conner"
''Win American Diction Become Differ
ent from That Of England" was answer
ed by Miss Emma MCGEE. A lively dis
cussion of the subject followed by the
teachers Of Washington school. There
was some difference Of opinion on this last
subject and the animated discussion
brought others TO the floor in quick sue
cession. 1essrs. J. s. Carson. r. F. Knight
and Superintendent Dyer being among the
speakers.
After announcements. the meeting was
adjourned for one month.