The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1906-04-26
Some SimplIfIed SpelIings.
Richmond Times Dispatch


Even the most rabid and unre9en-
arte opponents OF any change III the
present English language as she is
spclt will admit that Mr.. Carnegie
Simplifed Spelling Board il attack
/ ing its delicate work in Il very mOder-
ate and conservative way. The
boards second circular, Just issued,
gives list OF three hundred words
whose photography it wants to see
abbreviated, and Wehaye looked over
them with some relief They fall into
twenty general classes, which we are
setting down here for our readers III
formation:
/. Words spelled with ae, a. or Q. Rule;
choose e; ex: ancsthetic esthetic, medl-
cval, etc.
= Words spelled with -dge-ment or-dg-
mcnt. Rule: omit e; ex: abridgment, ac-
acknowledgement, judgment. lodgment.
,. Words spelled with ed or t, the pre-
ceding single consonant being doubled
before ed (pped, -ssedD and left single
before t opt. ST.. Rule choose t in all
cases; ex: dipt, dript. dropt, slept, stopt,
etc best, prest, distrest, mist, etc,
busht. husht, wasn't, etc
/. Words spelled with -ence or -ense
Qatin -ens-a). Rule: choose -ense; ex de-
tense. OffenSe. pretense.
>. Words spelled with -ette or LET. Rule:
omit -te;ex cOquet. epaulet etiquct, ONE
let etc
6. Words spelled with gh or f. Rule:
choose t; ex: draft.
I. Words spelled with -gh or without.
o. Dug or -ow. Rule: choose -ow; ex:
pillow. ~ -ough or o Rule; choose o;
ex: altho (Bunyan) tho (Bunyan), thoro,
-bOro lin place names).
=. Words with the verb sufIiX. OF Greek
origin. spelled Use or lie. Rule: choose
-izc; cx: catcchizp, criticize, eXrecizc, legal
izc, etc.
o. Words spelled with lite or it. Rule
omit G, eX: deposit. prctcrlt
10 Words spelled with IL or r.! Gill or
i'll, Rule: choose !; ex: disfil. fulfil, in
! still
H. Words spelled with Illness or J.
ness Rule: omit one |; eX: dulness, fulness
II. Words spelled with mime or m
| Rule: omit me; eX: gram, program.
-. Words spelled with oe. II or e,
| Rule: choose e: ex: ecumenical, csopha-
| gus.
II. Words spelled with our or or.
]
! honor, labor, rigor, rnmor, tenor. tumor.
vaI0r, vapor, vigOr
-. Words spelled with ph or t. Rule:
choose +; rX: fantasn, fantasy, iantom,
sulfate suifur.
1G. Words spelled with II orr. Rule:
omit one +; eX: bur. pur.
II. Words spelled with re or -er. Rule:
| choose -cr: cX: center, meter inter inter
srpucher theatcr
Is. VI ords spelled with or Z Gin root
Rule: choose Z; cX: apprize. assize, com
| prize. RAE, surprize, taZcl.
-. Words spelled with $ or Sc Rule:
! omit e; OK: silnitar, sithe.
20. Words spelled with or without 81
/ lent -uc. Rule: omit -ue: ex: catalOg. dem
agog. pedagog, prolog.
! It is to br noted that the terrible
monstrOsiticS which he very name OF
'iOnotlk reform instantly summons
to the dismayed eyes OF some Of us
are mostly conspicuous by their alb
sencc. 1t is possible for those Whn
like ourselves, value the associations
connected with spellings. too
much to want to see them wiped
away on rational grounds to look
over this list without being literally
shocked into insensibiIity.
The examples given in numbers / :,
,, t, ), $. 9. 10, II. -, b, IA, 20
are already, we take it, in more or
less general use. At any rate they
are not startling enough to cause the
reader annoyance. The same thing
is true, less consistently and to Il
more limited extent, of numbers 6, /,
II. "PloW" will offend hardly any
body, but 'tho,' despite the sane
ton OF Bunyan and its practical
championship in periodicals and pa
| pers, is much more arresting. In Il
similar way "sepulcher' initiates,
while "theater" does not. Numbers
II, 1G, Is and 10 are much more
doubtful. We imagine it will be IL
long time before a great many of US
will he writing of ''surfurs, " ''burs. =
"surprizes' and ''simitars
1t is possible, by the way. that
the board editors have employed ii
certain amount Of clcverncss in pick
inc particularly easy, examples?
'Draft does not especially attract
our attention, but "lai' would shock
us eXcruciatimglv. SO would ''enuf'
and 'ruf, which. if Rule is to be
obeyed, must also be counted among
the board : Prescriptions