The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-06-20
A Summer Discussion.

years, Dlt lOT Ill ulILiiIitUN i'oi iSN.
A Summer Discussion.
This letter refers to matter OF slight
consequence, but for that very reason
the discussion OF the subject 10 suitable
to the weather we have been having
ITO THE EDITOR OF TEE suN-.st,: May ask
you In what part Of England, or In what KIND OF
English society people drop their 'gs' Having
soon this remark twice In your valued paper IN the
course OF weeh. simply have 10 write. and ask
for this information.
Being Enslhh myself. am perfectly asspunded
at this statement, especially when 1t comes from
such reliable paper as TIE SUM-
NEW YORK June II. ENolLsH LAD.
Certainly an English Lad ought to
know something about his own country,
but after all his knowledge must be
confined to the particular part OF society
in which he moves. His ignorance as
to the matter in question seems to sug-
gest that his acquaintance is among
people who speak more correctly than
do those to whom we referred.
1t is a fact, however, that in almost
whole section of the English society
which prides itself most on its arlsto-
cratic stamp, the fashion is to leave of
the final "g' in pronounoing words end
ing with that letter 1t is mspronun-
citation as noticeable there as is the
addition and the omission Of IN in the
Cockney speech.
This clipping off of the "g' cannot be
a result of ignorance as to the true pro-
nunciation, for it prevails among many
university bred Englishmen. For ex-
ample, when the late Dean HOLE of Roch-
ester was in this country in 1894, his
leaving off the e" was noticeable in the
many genial addresses made by him, yet
Dean HOLE was an Oxford man OF
considerable literary reputation. Dr.
CONAN DOYLE said of him that "a finer
man in body and mind never came out
of England" At any rate, he was
very good example of the class OF Eng
lishmen who leave off the "g."
This class includes very great part OF
smart society, as it is vulgary termed,
and English army and navy officers OF
social pretensions are in it. The mis-
usage may therefore be called fashion,
able in England. With us it is more or
less frequent also, but it is unfashion-
able here 1t is confined to the speech
of backwoods people of Yankee deriva-
ton, and in England it is said TO be Dor
rowed from the Yorkshire dialect.
1t is not remarkable that an English
Lad has not heard it, A man might be
in really cultivated English society
and never hear it. In truth, he would
hear English spoken there very much
as it is spoken by refined and cultivated
people in this country, with perhaps
difference in meditation. He might
miss the fuency of the speech Of this
country, for even an educated English
man will often hem and haw and hest
tate in getting out his words when they
will come easily to an American with
any considerable command Of a vocabu-
larry. But, in general, really cultivated
English pronunciation is very much the
same as here. Any sharp distinction of
speech is far less noticeable among the
well educated than among those who are
outside of that sphere.
The leaving off of the g" in the circle
to which we have referred is of the ma
ture of an affectation and not pretty
affectation by any means. 1t seems to
be a sort of revolt against the restraint
Of formal correctness, and the tendency
to show such contempt for punctilious
conventions extends to matters Of man
ners once held to be of prime importance,
as indicative of good breeding. $50 as
YOU please, ""be law unto yourself is
the whim of the moment, Instead Of
conformity, show indifference. 1t is all
an expression of irrevercnce for customs