The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1906-11-01

Mark Twain implores the Associated
Press in lachrymose voice-at ban
quet-to give this new mode of SPELL
ing but three months trial by using
it in the issuing of their news; and
when many other pessons advocate the
use of phonetic spelling, then. surely,
it is time for the people to look into
this matter with open, unbiased eyes.
What are they trying to do with our
Let us see!
They want to simplify our language
by spelling the words according to
phonetics. That sounds reasonable;
even fascinating Whether or not we
can do it, is different question; even
providing that the majority of people
were in favor of doing so, what they
do not seem to be. So far, a list of
three hundred words, to be followed
gradually by lists of other words, has
been presented by board appointed
for the purpose. Over half of the
words so presented, have long since
been spelled as the board recommend.
The gu" in all those words of French
origin like "honouT," "labour," etc., has
been discarded even by the compilers
of dictionaries, and the leaving out of
the first "e" in words like judgement"
has also long since been sanctioned by
popular custom. 1t is different, how
ever, when we are asked to spell "mixt"
instead of "mixed," etc.; for then we
come into direct conflict with the colt
jugation of most verbs, which is a
rather serious matter We would gain
the advantage of leaving out an occa-
sional &c." at cost of making useless
all the English grammar books now in
existence. For we certainly cannot
teach our pupils that it is correct to use
only st." where the grammar express
ly prescribes an ''ed." Phonetic spell
ing is of value only when we are
consequent in the matter and spell
eoery word so; otherwise we can have
no phonetic spelling. That is where
cannot do away with, unless we change
our entire language. When we have
learned to spell the first three hundred
words in the new way, we will find
that there are thousands of Other
words left, which are spelled differently
from what they are pronounced.
Let us suppose that in the course Of
many years we have accustomed our
, selve to spell the words that way
without change of the language. d.
we then have phonetic spelling? B!
no means! For there are hundreds O.
single and of composite words in ou
language, which are pronounced eractl!
like other words that have not only ,
totally different meaning, but are ais
spelled differently. Here are few
, samples: to, too, two; air, heir; BIZ, by
bye, buy; here, hear; ere, ear; etc., etc
What are we going to do about them
Then, again, we have numbers o
words which are spelled alike, but hav
different meanings and are pronounce
+ differently, as, for instance, the YER
! "read" in its present and in its pas
+ tense. There are lots of similar words
, but we cannot give dictionary extract
q in this article. What are we going
y do with such wordsp A thoroug
I phonetic spelling we.cannot have, ur
+ less we change our language-vocabu
! larry, grammar, everything. Th
. phonetic spelling of only fraction o
q words has no practical value.
q Suppose we have actually learned t
: spell phonetically, say one thousan
i words. What lot of trouble and wor
r would that require, how much valus
Il BILE time would be lost in the acquis
t. tion, and what endless confusion
Is our private and. public life would b
i. occasioned, before such a mastery
9 spelling could be acquiredl Whs
Is compensation do we get for the worl
., for the trouble, lost time and col
o fusionP We have simply learned
t. do away with few letters in lal
r. guage which is already the shorte
r. and the most practical in existenc
o Try the experiment, and you will fir
10 that in an article of one thousar
Is words, you can strike out-spelliI
3 phonetically-on an average only fro
70 forty TO sixty single letters at the mos