The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-05-25
VARIED PRONUNCIATION
A Study of How Members in Con-
gress Express Themselves.
EVOLUTION IN SOUNDS
Difference Not So Marked ~ the Differ
ence OF Section Would Lead One
to suppose-Numerous For
eign Tongues Grated.

~
III United States senate n house,
the idea occurred that 1t was a good
time to study the pronunciation Of the
different representatives of this vast
country.
The study proved extremely Interest,"
ing. ands often the vital point Of the
argument was lost in the diversion
which the manner of pr~onouncing it
occasioned.
1t was surprising to find the differ
ence of pronunciation among the con-
gressmen was not SO marked as the
difference of section would lead one to
suppose. for there were speakers from
the North. the South. the East and
the West.
Senator White was especially noted.
He is from the extreme Western slope.
where a touch of Western "twang''
might be expected. but his ~pronuncia-
ton was quite correct and suggested
the idea that he speaks French well.
The speakers from the South slurred
their pronouns and their RS" and
often lost their "e's' in the sound of
u" Ia such words as generally"
Judgment" 'boldest," making them
"genully." judgmunt." ~"bolduss." But
tAttth N,lttC q uSudlIN DII. eNt
harsh and nasal.
The speakers from the North and
West were distinguished by the prom
inence OF their RS" these rolling
through their words like the Fremont
tory mutterings OF thunder or the rum
BILE OF a ten pin alley" Those from
New York state and vicinity seemed
striving TO grasp the rolling rs from
the lips of their Western colleagues,
and to pick up all the vowels dropped
on the Southern side. but succeeded so
poorly in reconciling them In pronun
citation that with them fortress" be-
came fortress aptitude acquired
two 20" in sound, and news" became
II would have surprised those grave
and reverend members OF our national
congress to know there was a ''chiel
amang them takin' notes." and that
the notes did not consist of those HER
oglyphics scrawled' In double quick
time over reams of paper. the
felt presentments of weighty words
falling from congressional lips. but
were notes by ear. II We may so ex-
press IL.
Listening to the various representa-
tive tongues the belief came hat no
study can be made at once more in
structive and entertaining than the
study of the use inc abuse Of words.
and certainly no branch of the study
of words can be more entertaining and
Instructive than the proper and i'm
proper pronunciation of words. III God
gave man language as He gave him
reason IL seems a pity that he vas not
at the same time endowed with the
faculty of clothing that language in
one only n correct sound pleasing to
the ear and immutable as the laws OF
the Modes and Persians.
But fortunately. perhaps. for the
orthoepists, there Is as much evolution
in the sounds of words a. In the de-
scent or ascent Of man.
Such words as the following were in
correctly pronounced by Members both
of the house and nat on the occa-
sion referred to. The correct way will
be put in brackets: "Ultimat-um' (ul-
tima-tum. or sound Of broad az.
"Venezu-e-la" Vene-zue-la, or zuala).
Conversation" (conversation). "I-o-
way Uo-wa). cit" (set). "op-po-
nunt" (~op-po-nent). Said" (sed). Tn
ter-est" Un-te-rest. verb and noun).
'Civ'r' (civil). 'Res-o-loo-tion' (res-
o-lu-tion). "Leg-is-la-tive" 0egisla-
tive). "Jeopardize'' leopard is the cor
rect world. with" with as in
breathe).
fAhu hfhnNy " mp Woih5 iNtNiNt
the wrong accent. put II would be end
less and unjust to enumerate them. for
In many instances the want of proper
pronunciation was due. no doubt, to
the interest OF the subject and the We
hemence Of the speaker.
The attention given to the matter of
pronunciation among such a various
body Of English speaking people only
showed that to study a peoples Ian
guage. with its phases of intonation.
enunciation and pronunciation. In to
study them. and In for US to derive
great profit and entertainment from
our own. tongue. But IL also showed
how. daily and hourly. those who are
supposed to be masters of good En-
lard OF the rules for the latest and
most approved a in the %pronuncia-
ton OF words.
We cannot forget. of course. that in
this immense country numerous for
eign tongues have been grated On the
adopted English. and we nay expect
to hear as many variations Of sound
given our alphabetical arrangement as
10 usually heard In the variations Of a
for US. the speech sounds do not al
ways prove any more euphonious or
musical than often do the sound from
the mechanical instrument.
There are mar persons who canno
distinguish note Of music from an
other. and yet whose ear II % keenly
sensitive to the correct rhythm of
words. they recoil A. II In pain when
a wrong note Ii struck in the pronun-
citation or q -consonantey :doxratkmek..
citation Of q vowel or q consonant-
And yet. We may ask. where Is the
standard Of pronunciation so absolute
ly ixed for English speaking peoples
that by IL We may judge h ~pronuncia-
ton of others as correct or incorrect,
and the sensitive ear place the respon-
sibility of the offending sound? Con-
sidering the liberal license both given
and taken In the matter of pronuncia-
ton the question In difficult to answer.
We speak only OF the literary and
well b sensitive ear OF polite socie-
ty-the ear cultivated by association
with the usages OF the best society.
composed Of those who make correct
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