New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-10-19
WALTER WILLIAM SKEAT
His Work for Greater Simplicity in
English Spelling.
To the Editor OF The Tribune.


Sir: The editorial in last Sundays
Tribune on the late Walter William Skeat
mot William w, as it was inadvertently
printed pays a just tribute TO a man
who did, and was still doing at the time
Of his death, a notable work for the
preservation Of the purity OF the English
language. No man OF his day and gen.
Grafton stood higher in scholarship or
brought to bear on his special department
Of learning a graver weight Of authority.
The widely known facts that he was an
enthusiastic advocate Of greater SIM
plcity in the spelling of English words,
was one of the founders OF the Simpined
Spelling Society Of Great Britain and was
the first president OF that society, and
vice-president at the time OF his death
indicate. however, that he did not share
in the fear, expressed in The TrIoune's
editorial, that a reform In Englsh
spelling I'm the direction Of greater SIM
plicity would 80 disguise the etymoloGy'
Of many words that their original mean
ing would be lost or obscured, and would
thus conduce 10 their misuse"
lie recognized that the English ham
guage IS a living thing, and like all other
living things, subject TO the laws Of
growth and change He knew that the
meaning and the pronunciation OF many
English words had changed, In spite OF
the fact that their spelling had not been
changed for centuries; and that other
words had retained their original mean
ing. and probably their pronunciation,
although their spelling had been. con-
siderably modified i'm the course OF time.
lie knew that such changes Of meaning
were inevitable, and necessary TO fit the
needs Of a living and progressive people,
and were bound to take place irrespective
Of the way IN which the words themselves
were spelled or pronounced. and for the
reason that these changes originate IN
the spoken language. only when they
have gained currency in the speech OF
the people are they recorded In the
written language.
But let Professor Skeat speak for him
self on these points. l quote from a
pamphIct entitled ION the History or
Spelling" issued by the SImplitied
Spelling Society OF Great Britain in De-
ccmbcr, 1908. II Is a reprint IN part OF
lecture on THE Kings English, from
Alfred 10 Edward VII" delivered by Pro-
fcssor skeat in April, 1902 on the occa-
sion OF the Alfred the Greatsmillenary At
winchester, England
The fact is" said Professor Skeat.
that most people fail to grasp the one
leading principle. viz, that It Is the
spoken word that really matters. Writing
was invented for the purpose Of repre-
sentlng the sound, and IL useful only so
far as II does so. The sole true judge Is
the ear Yet we actually judge by the
eve: we actually 20 by the look Of the
thing and consider whether the word
looks Ike Latin or Greek. II it does that
we call It good. in defiance OF truth and
logic. Yet while we are commonly
anxious TO spell English in such man
ner as TO show OFF our latin and Greek
we lose sight of the material fact that
the bulk OF the language Is neither OF
Latin nor Of Greek origin. but goes back,
in countless cases. 10 Old MerCian or 70
Anglo-French, neither OF which IS at all
familiar to the average schoolboy The
plea for genealogical spelling, falsely
so called. IS invariably given mp by every
true English scholar aS soon as he comes
20 know the actual facts and can under
stand a page Of Chanccr or a page Of
Alfred; but, as such scholars are In a
very small minority and are likely TO
remain 80, there is an overwhelming
consensus Of opinion. in favor Of con
tinuing to bear the yoke which the print
ers impose on us. No Improvement IS pos
siblo TIL a reasonable and decent ac-
quantance with our old authors is a
great deal more common than Il Is at
present" Respectfully. H. G. =.
New York. oct. H. 1912