New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-09-09
Reform ~ PRONUNCTATTON.
A PLEA FOR CHANGE THAT WILL LEAD
TO PHONETIC SPELLING

recently representing that English is likely 10 he-
a world language. II seems highly probable
indeed that this anticipation may be realized 10
very large extent. But the probability IS one that
scholars and philan;hropsts can by 10 means con-
template with unmxed satisfaction. That English
has important qualifications FOR the honor and
Office Of a world language Will once be freely
admitted But II has disqualifcations even moro
conspicuous. T. force abominabe system Of
spelling the world and It's unborn generations
would NJ scarcely less than crime II done Of
deliberate intent, and not AS a matter Of presumed
necessity it would be nothing less than crime.
and crime Of most disastrous import Sow.
what be done 70 forestall tho disastrous conse-
quencos Of such probability. whether regarded
a misfortune or a fault and - give the lam
guage 70 the world AS an uumiXed blessing" II
anything is ~ he done n Is time were about
H. for despite the aborination and disgrace Of ~
written form. the language seems 10 he making
rapid progress over the earth
The question then Is. What he done What
undertake with any reasonable prospect of
success There have been some experiments from
which may profit. Eminent phiioogists. per-
haps may -ay combination Of eminent philolo
gists. have undertaken reform the spelling 81
the language They have not only not succeeded,
hut they have made no noticeable impression on ~
written structure They have not even succeeded
FRI rubbing of the letter 20" from the end Of tne
word active There were at least two reasons
why they failed. First. their attempts were 4
mere doctoring ~ symptoms. few SYMPTOMS
only. and hose by no means tho most important
without touching the cause Of the disease and.
second they depended OF necessity upon the assent
or publishers whose pecuniary interests were OPP
posed 70 such assent. To many. also, the com
paratvely small gain offered 10y the proposed
changes made n seem that the game hardly
worth the candle We may learn from mis- fal'
ure thar the vay proposed nv these reformers is
NOT the vav 70 do -. ard t NAV perhaps be
worth While 20 consider the cause ~ 'he trouble
and Gee whether ~ would NOT b. possible 70 strike
moro easily As well as more effectively a. thai
Now. without citing proofs further than fnAF
anpear on the surface NAV say that The primary
and sustaining cause Of orr atrooous spelling les
IN changing tho names and in attempting bur
with yer, indifferent success 20 change Tho sounds
Of The three leading voVels 81 the ArNan group ~
languages 70 which English belongs and. of
course Of the Two or three members Of thar group
from which n was Immediately derived Inc
letter which all other civilized peoples call an.
We call "ay': the letter they call ay we call
ZEE" ard the letter they call "ee" we call eve
And We have invented several different methods
~ make these novels sound Ue call them, nut
ne have NOT succeeded N even hair me cases ~
which ,h4v occur in our language These changes
~ name and our dozens Of different methods OF
irving 70 make the changes effective. are ne PRONE
source Of confusion and contradiction IN our spell
ing II is IN fact 4 practical repudiauon OF '"e
phonetc principle. and the substitution o. ''i
tional word signs IN its place
Nov, II need no. % said thar this change o.
names and attempted change OF sounds so nee1-
laesl,- disrespectful 70 the parent languages =
nothine 70 nr proud Of l. tad not even the merit
~ honest intention or Of any intention II was
sinolv the result Of ignorant and ilterate stupidly
On The part Of the peasantry who had me mahlHs
Of the language ont Of It's original elements a'lu
who Tor TWO centuries had almost the aoS''u'e III
,rol NJ II Noble and strong "a this peasal''S Va
t., many respects they were particularly stup'p !"
80 o.,ar ~ discerning and initiating SOUNDS
,rt 4ofec+ or inability on their part due orisd4N
aarbons 70 a crude and undeveloped mental ca
naci,v seems also 70 have been TO 'er,a'" ~
.a.aanitsi and hereditary. and IS readily percep'-
hla IN the uncertainties Of English co'KheS anu
,,l,ol nronlnciaton az the present day
t,. houerer This may be- It is idle 10 expect any
oefac,tve reform In our polling so long as such
ro,,e, source Of confusion this change or names
and sounds remains in force. ~ sprIII's $500
be as il was from the irs intetHri w. ,on,binations
ami i'm which through confusion Oh go - he
sounds the phoneuc prinG,,Rle rerudistsd is not
sPe!Nns III re H - our spelling worth troubling
tldt any ny, heein nv restoring the names ~ these
about mus, 55owes Why indeed, should these
three eau , hs restored? Why should We not cAH
nan ab Ike other civilized peoples and ACCORDING
"a an an most frequent sound OF the letter IN our
o 40 ,'T an Una Why should the leading vo"e
sound in ali Aryan languages, and one OF rme l,.
freauent in our own be left without any rep'es''
tation in our alphabetic nomenclaturet ,, - j.,
The needed reform must. OF course, oesln i
IS 10 begin all in the spe Ing book an auo cboo
mary school II will be necessary 10 mo 49, ~ ~
board Intelligent enough 10 permit the use 'ned
spelling book in which tnese tntSe siIv undor-
bv their right names The child VIII '"SlE ~
stand how MAIN spells man nu ns ng how
undofst@ng ane T Indeed as far ne under
stands ANYTHING about II. he will know tnat m ay n
s safy ' of course to- explain 70 him thar adding
al "a'. changes the sound ~ the principal vowel
hat H. .
ana Nd" efert Of the Anal e. also that inserting an
- in main. has the same use sen il mn tbese ex
plantations until these awkward. conNehllo,55. 49,
DDS Of spelling begin TO ia INTO for the child han
the confusion. contradiction and unitn'h "l our
present methods, ,h ne and which he win he
taught call respectively "aN and 80 h,h -, I'M rmS
way alone can we ever have AWNING Mi',n i paol
erly deserves the name OF spelling IN our ~ &
But some reform OF our Rr@mrn regor IN sreinr
Why should We adopt as IN" rue OF our 'ono ar
ship pronumclation wnicn mao ~ remote and
ignorant peasant ancestry. 50 CRUDE ~ 'n'lr me-,
obs 81 speech that they could not clearly distinguish
tration tho Germans. Danes Swed"s and N0r
T Tsncn i nGTe IT. pas Why should the
same word Borrowing It from inem ana mo, ipsiI
pras~n aronrerncd' did not know any better and
W. have adopted their blunder as the rule Of our
WV should we Of all peoples in the world. throw
ouMrseIves omi If connection with the line Of his
tore. cassie and genealogical continuity which
extends back through the centuries. and which
wn,,ld hiring English into its proper relation with
other languages and MAKE IT'S adoption e"syf why
should We alone thus Kick out OF the lesiumatr
linguistic traces and expect other civilized peoples
TO adopt what they must regard and what really
Is for US 10 conform 10 the right standard, or
shall we expect that all other peoples must con,
form wrong one I'm order TO agree with us
According to the rule OF pronunciation here ird.
Gated should say "par-cnt. patriot,
''nashonaI" gel 'meecroscope." "oblceJ" "ob-
leck" and oven 'convaynient" "saycret" and
iallX ahO nat
INSTRUMENTATION as "hroncheyetis' and 'pereton-
eyets."
IL should be observed that for reform In pronun-
citation to help us back toward the phonetic prin-
cipl- I'm spelling not dependent upon pub
fishers and printers. even dictionaries. lf the
scholars and philologists who approve the reform
and who have 80 long been trying to rub OF the
| from acilNe and 20 amhsillmic - Tor .el-