New-York tribune., 1901-01-20
FRENCH GRAMMATICAL REFORMS.

M HANOTAUX'S REPORT TO THE ACADEMY.
Paris correspondence OF the Pail Mall Gazette.
1t will be remembered that the French edu-
cational authorities decreed recently revolu-
ton In French grammar and syntax- The Min
lister Of Public Instruction, perhaps alive TO the
fact though a little late in the day, that he had
been guilty of some temerity IN posing as
greater than Vaugelas, submitted the reforms.
or as the University prefers to term them. sim
plifcatiOns. to the Academy, which appointed
committee to pronounce upon them. NJ Hano-
taux the former Minister for Foreign Affairs,
was charged by the committee with drawing
up a report on the proposed grammatical inno-
vations. This document is about to be made
public. and it's conclusions represent the views
of the Academy this delicate matter or I'm
gustc reform The Academy, il will be gener-
ally conceded. has struck happy mean between
unyielding conservatism and the barbaroJs reVo-
lutionary spirit that animated the subordlnates
of NJ Leygues 1t agrees that examiners are 700
prone to aim at the confusion Of their victims
by perpleXing them with the most recondlte
and often futile conundrums known TO the gram
mar books. 1t would have objection to the
abolition of sundry of these subtleties. and
would be content that the average man should
pay no attention to most OF them.
ON the other hand. there is a limit to its con-
cessiOns. The Academy considers that the mere
eccentricities of the grammar books are in no
circumstances of much Importance. but ii holds
il to be it's duty to utter a vehement protest
when the refOrners threaten TO maltreat the
essential elements of the language. The Acad-
envy, for instance. denounces as an abOmination
the proposed go you please method of writ
ing composite nouns. II viii not hear of such
right to write gardes forestiers and gardepeches.
chefs deuvre and cheflieux, tete-a-tete and
pelemtles. 1t opines that in this matter the old
and the Serviceable, though complicated, ruIeS
should be adhered to. In a general way the
Academy is in favor of much indulgence being
shown those who write the language as il is
customarfIy spoken. For example. regards
the words Of double gender il would be lenient
in cases whore popular usage IS hesit2tInS but
it declines to 60 so far as the reformers and
permit such horrifyins IocGtions as les fOus
amours de CIeOpsttrc'' 0r les aiSles romans"
In the ticksh matter, too, of the tense of verbs
in the sUbju1ctive il is disposed 70 be eoncilia-
tory up To point. After conditional il viii
tolerate. out Cf regard for the weaker brethren.
either the present or the imperfect; you may
write at viii Ill faUdrai- qui vienne' "quU
Viut. hut You must not replace Ill cut fallu
or,iIs vins~cot' iv Ill aut faIIu et'iIs viennert"
But this is the place make even brief
reference 10 all the points touched on in NJ
HanotauX's report still n word must be said
cards the decision of the Academy respect
ing that most terrible cruX, the agreement OF
the past p3rtlcipIe IN the case of verbs con-
ju@'rtel with avoir The Academy scouts the
S1crll"Sl"uS proposal ot the TeformerS that the
rules which obtain in this matter should be dis
regarded IL is even so bold as TO affirm, though
surely with its tcregUe in it's august cheek, that
these rules are easily mastered by chill
dren. However that may be it will not hear OF
their abolition. rs NJ Hano-aux points out in
his report. all French poetry would promptly be-
come archaic II tht agreement or the past par
ticipla ceased To- exist. The mute 'e,' which is
one Of the suhtl-st and most indispensable
charms Of French verse, would soon lose it's
SAVIOR 70 unaccustomeG ears, with the result
that before long only the letterei few would
appreciate SUch a Ine as, say, "l4ieUX char
ctpur VouS await adoree." But
after StaUdinE vut for the strict observance OF
This Fundamental rule. the Academy shows its
sweet reasonablencsS 10y cOnsenting, to allow
people write indifferently la femme que TAI
entendu' or "entendue chanter," or les sau-
-errants dams les forats'' The Acadarlicians are
often the object of nlockery. In this instance
they have deserved we'll Of their countryrnsn
EfSV To- tNSWFP