The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-22
INTERDICTED PHRASES.
Forms of Expression That Custom
Says should he Avoided.
From the Philadelphia Press.

FROM the HnllaQelpnla 9TSSS.
After three days of conference and dis
cussion of things literary and otherwise
appertainng to the teaching of the Ian
guages, the members of the Modern Lam
guage Association of America closed their
fifteenth annual convention Thursday, and
most of the delegates left the city to re-
sumo their work in the various colleges
and universities with which they are con-
nected.
In Verbal Taboos,' the last paper read
before the close of the session, Prof. f. N.
Scott of the University of Michigan pre-
scented one of the most interesting contri-
buttons during the conventions sessions.
The paper pleaded for the retention of
many words in the language which are
dropped from it on account of personal dis
like on the part of those who have the in
fiuential places in the development of the
English vocabulary.
He explained that taboo" was a pro-
hibltion laid upon certain objects or acts;
a ban or Introduction of such character
that any one who touches the tabooed OBJ
ject or who performs the tabooed act is
liable to a penalty more or less severe,
and then went on to speak of the taboo
in relation to spoken words, saying;
Very significant are the taboos pub
lished by Prof A. s. Hill of Harvard Uni
versity. in his school text books. If we
listen to the voice of this New England
crier proclaiming his taboos to his fellow
savages, we shall no longer speak of any
thing as being a Success we shall speak
of it as being successful We shall cease
saying AN EDITORIAL and in its place use
an editorial article or "A leader
1--WE shall not think of the barn as being
back of the house, but as being behind
the house, According to Mr.. Hill, We must
not say the United States Is a nation
1Hya ba mt
ton. The proposition onto is strictly for
hidden. 1t is wrong. 1 infer, to say We
climbed out the window onto the roof of
the porch Instead the sentence should
read: we climbed out the window on the
roof (or to thereof Of the porch
ITO gesture, according to Prof. Hill, is
verb which is not verb. The sentence.
"A beautiful doll came out and gestured
solemnly,' is corrected to read, "A beautiful
doll came out and gesticulated solemnly.'
Finally, the verb laundered' is condemned
as a vulgar substitute for washed and
ironed.
In certain books that have appeared
within the last quarter of century. at
tempts have been made to place a ban or
prohibition upon the use of certain we'll
known and much-used English words and
phrases. These prohibitions. which may be
termed verbal taboos, from their resem-
blance to the taboos of aboriginal tribes
are the outcome of antipathies which are
formed in early years while the individual
is acquiring command of speech
such antipathies are common to all per-
sons, being due to the associations which
naturally occur in the formation of the
speech habit; but in the case of most per-
sons they are checked or repressed by n
sense of Difference to the feelings Of others
in the community.
There are some persons. however. In
each generation who are unusually self-as-
sertive and aggressive in matters of Ian
guage. Such persons look upon their per-
sonal antipathies as universal principles
and do not hesitate 10 impose them upon
their neighbors. 1t is from these persons
that verbal taboos proceed"