Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-27

are adopted very readily by the masses If
they happen to appeal to the popular fancy.
Since Websters Dictionary was pub
lished in 1898 an enormous number of words
have been added to the language and the
total is really uncountabe. We cannot say
how many words there are in the English
language. Our dictionary will doubtless in
clude all that are in present use, but l can
not give you the total offhand. The aver
age. however, will be more than 10000 for
every letter of the alphabet. That will
make total of $50, 600 which may approx
mate the total number. We have 1923
words beginning with the letter A. 16131
beginning with the letter b. and the letter
C. requires an entire volume. l do not
French language has a much smaller num-
Der of words than the English, but the
German language, with Its innumerable
combinations, has more. - --.---+
a. Action of Philologists.
do any of the English phiologists ac-
cept the new form of spelling?"
Prof. Skeat is perhaps the only authority
in England who accepts it, and even he does
not use the simplified spelling in his pri-
vate correspondence. Dr. Henry Sweet,
the greatest English phoneticst, 1 am told,
refused to join the American society," l can
not explain his reasons.
"Pittman and Ellis some time ago In
vented a phonetic alphabet, but it was not
to introduce similar reforms. This is by no
means new movement. Many years ago
the Pathological Society of England and a
similar organization in the United States
united in an agreement to reform their
spelling and to use simplified methods in all
their publications, but it did not last The
experiment was a failure and was aban-
doned, not so much because Of popular OPP
position for an individual reason. What
broke it down was the officiousness of an
irresponsible person who acted as secretary
of the association. He interpolated various
reforms of his own into the list of simpli-
fled words and made it ridiculous.
Suggestions to the Board.
What have you to suggest to the Ameri-
can board?"
They had better enlarge their committee
by taking in influential representatives
from every part of the English speaking
world. Then they should go very slowly
and cautiously, not to shock the pub
lie or excite opposition or ridicule, a few
words at a time. Perhaps it might be polite
to adopt a principle at a time to recon-
mend, for example that certain inconsist-
encies and incongruities of the same or
similar character be corrected. When they
have persuaded the newspapers and popu-
lar writer's and printers to adopt that re-
form it will be time to undertake another
and thus move carefully and gradually so
turbed or their attention distracted as they
read a newspaper or book Any writer who
uses unconventional forms of spelling will
limit his audience and divert attention from
his meaning. Hence, when man wants to
convince his readers he will be cautious
about introducing the element Of novelty
into his text do anything that will divert
the attention of the reader.
THE proposed committee should consist
of men whose opinions are best worth hav-
ing and when they have evolved a scheme,
the first step, 1t seems to me, should be to
persuade writers to adopt it. You have
various professional and literary organiza-
lions In your country which might be very
influential in promoting spelling reform, but
fancy they would not be willing to adopt
any radical program. 1t would be wise to
confer with them and secure their co-opera-
ton. 1t would also be expedient to persuade
your popular authors and the editors of
your newspapers to pledge themselves to
adopt the reform In that way movement
could be made popular aud general, and it
should be as universal as possible"