Arizona republican., 1913-12-17
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Rev. Dr. Reed of Lutheran Church Deplores Tend ency to Get Away from Proper Pronunciation in Response to Pads


 words from other languages, but in the adoption of the pronunciation used by the nations of continental Europe of word similarly spelled. He declares this to be catering to the desires of a few globe trotters". pr. Reed feels very strongly upon the question, be- lieving in the beauty and the utility of the English tongue. In referring to the matter to a Republican representative recently he spoke of the following com munication which he prepared upon the subject. pr Reed says:
 Every native born American, if patriot, loves his mother tongue. the English language. And ours is now the greatest language in the world, spoken by more of the white race than any other tongue The countries that use 7nglish as the official language, and where it is spoken by most of the peo- pie, have population of 150,O0O. 900.
 We need not go to any foreign coun- try to borrow new forms of speech. The latest addition to Webster's New International Dictionary contains, by actual count. more than 100000 words. This should be enough to suit the taste of the most fastidious writer or speak CT. But some persons, probably be cause of a lack of knowledge of their own language. are seeking new words and styles of pronunciation in foreign pastures This is the fashion of globe trOtters." and of theological students, university professors and musicians who spend a few months in one of the capitals of continental Europe.
 Many of our words are of Latin ori- .J-
 French, like the musical name "dande- lion;" but it was stamped with an Eng fish accent. This is more euphonious than the original, .'dens-leo,' formed of two Latin words. But now the pronun- citation of our mother tongue, in some quarters, is being defiIed by foreign ac- cents, mostly French. Envelope is pro nounced "ongveIope;" prestige is changed to pres tezh,' with the accent on the second syllable mobile which is pure Latin word, pronounced with a short ''i'' and the accent on the first syllable, takes on a French dress and becomes mobeele when added to the Greek name auto; and so it goes Will the English language become en- tirely Frcnchiffed to suit the perverted taste of a few globe trotters'' and boarding school girls who are study ing modern languages? If we cannot pronounce the name automobile with an anglecized accent. let us drop it for the English term motor car, or simply say auto"
 The French name depot should never have been imported to designate railway station. As originally used the word depot meant a place for storing military supplies, warehouse. If We must use this foreign term, let us not say "day-po" but speak it with an English modulation, "de-po", with the accent on the first syllable. But we have a better name for waiting room, that belongs to our own language. the term station" And I am pleased to know that the word station" is being more and more used in our eastern states
 How shall we pronounce amen? AL though of Hebrew origin, this familiar word has been for centuries part of our language with a purely English accent. Tn recent years there has been growing tendency, on the part of cer- tain classes, to give "amen" the pro nunciatiOn that is prevalent in conti- mental Europe. This gives "a" the same sound as in arm. and it is often called Italian a." To avoid repetition I shall indicate this pronunciation of the word by writing if "ahmen.' In the English accent of this term, ais sounded as in aim, and is called in our speech Hong a."
 Tn singing we always say "ahmen" But style in music does not set the fashion for pronunciation in speaking. The Standard dictionary gives only one marking for the word, that of amen" Webster's International and the Cen tury both sanction "ahmen," but give the former the preference. When the German and the Scandinavian clergy say "ahmen." they are using the ac- cent of their respective countries This is proper. But they cannot set the fashion for English speaking people; nor have musicians any authority to do this. Some persons wrongly imagine that ahmen sounds more up-to-date and classical than the more virile Eng fish utterance of the word. But such is not the case; for English is as new, and yet as classic, as any other speech under the sum-
 How shall we speak the name of the metropolis of Missouri? Shall it be St Louis, pronounced as it is written or St. LOuee2" I prefer the former which is wholly English, rather than the lat ter which is mongreI, part English and part French. The proper French ac- cent would be Sang Louee," which will not soon be adopted by the masses So with the musical name Los Angeles It is better to give it the purely Eng fish sound as LOs-an jel-es,' rather than the mongrel accent in which the letter ''g" has nasal sound. and the last syllable some times spoken as though spelled '1eeze." During more than two years in California, I never heard but two persons, both lady school teachers, give the proper Spanish pro nunciation for the name of the city. As it is difficult for most Americans to give this correctly. let us use the Eng fish accent. Every living language is constantly growing But when We in corporate foreign words into our