The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-18
English Society Headed by Poet
Laureate Aims to Keep
Language Pure.
FOREIGN IDIOMS BARRED
Scientists Are Requested to Use
Native Tongue Instead Of
Borrowed Phrases.

LONDON, Jan. S.--"The Society for
Pure English" which. as already cabled
to THE SuN, was forn1es recently at OK
ford. has for one Of lis leading spirits
DR.. Bridges. tho new poet laureate.
Other members are DR.. f. A. Abbott. q.
o. Andrew. y. Berenson. DR.. a. G. Brad
ley DR.. Henry Bradley. DR.. w. A. Craigie,
Thomas Hardy. Dr.. +. Jenkinson. J. w.
Mackail Sir Arthur Qulier-Couch. l..
Pearsall Smith. Sir Walter Raleigh and
Mrs. Edith Wharton. all well known
names In the fields of letters and educa-
ton.
The reason for establishing the society
Is given In preliminary pamphlet, which
says:
Literary education IN ENGLAND would
seem In ono grave respect TO lack EN-
cheney. for IL does not inspire writer's
with a due sense OF responsibility toward
their native speech. In most European
countries men of letters and the better
class of journalists are trained to OBJ
serve the changes OF the language and TO
assist consciously In its development.
being guided by acknowledged principles
OF tradition and taste, But the English
language which Is now rapidly spreading
over the world. IS subject to no such guild
ance and to very little intelligent crit
icism.
objects of the Society.
ut is therefore propc sed that few
men OF letters, supported by the. scientific
alliance OF the best linguistic authorities,
should form a group of free association.
and agree upon modest and practical
scheme for informing popular taste on
sound principles. for guiding educational
| authorities and for introducing into prac-
tice certain slight mod locations and adj
vantaSeous changes. The promoters Of
| this association are OF course well aware
sfA H.. ~ -
| tutes the chief objection to any conscious
| reform OF language. They are fully on
their guard against this and they think
that the scheme OF activity which they
propose must prevent their being suspected
OF foolish interference with living develop
ments."
| The first definite proposal refers 10 the
spelling and pronunciation of borrowed
| terms. Instead OF being assimilated. NJ
| they were In the past such terms Il Is
alleged, are spelled and pronounced not az
English but as foreign words.
And as we more and more
rarely assimllate our borrowings, tho
founders say. so even words tina,
were once naturalized are being now
one by one made un- English. and dr!veu
out OF the language back into Their
foreign forms: whence it comes that "a
paragraph of serious English prose ma
be sometimes seen - freely epriukic.
1 q "a
of Cicero Is often interlardrd with Gr,-,.
The mere printing of such words il ,t.i''us
- an active force toward degeu"ratiuI.
!. Other foreign dcnizens which ~,
| claiming naturalization we would cucour-
age on the principle of preferring tnor
more English forms. 1t would plainly bc
useful for writer's to be acquainted with
such matters: and list of all such words
with their English history would he Il
good example of the sort of academic ser
vice which this society might render
| The second matter dealt with liz the
substitution Of purely English words for
terms Of Greek and Latin origin.
| we would discourage" says the pam
phlet, such unimaginative and artificial
| formations and on principle prefer terms
made By English material. which are
| easily understood and naturally spoken
by English speaking people.
| The aim IL to use the English tina,
Johnson would have spoken, not thac
| which he wrote. While he would sav
| rot" he would write ''putreiy"
| An Interesting section deals with word
coming. II says:
| Until Secrnt years English writer's
| were in the habit OF eNpcrme ntng some
what freely in language. and to their
| word coming activity we owe many OF our
current and most useful terms But since
Carlyle there have been until lately few.
1
| are added every year to the English
vocabulary. but they are for the most
part the deliberate creations OF scientific
| writer's. while the very men who should
| concern themselves with this matter stand
aloof and leave II to those who 10y nature
| and profession are least sensitive to the
| aesthetic requirements.
| "Wc would therefore encourage those
| who possess the word making faculty 10
| exercise II freely. and We hope IN the fu-
ture that suggestions from our members
may help men OF science and Inventors
| IN their search for new and appropriate
| names, Although men Of letters may o.
| casiohally ada TO the resources OF the
| language by word coinage their main
| activity is and must be one of selection.
| They are forced. for the most part, 10
| choose their vocabulary from the supplies
at hand and by their choice they do much
TO give prevalence to the words which
meet with their approval
Now. believing thai language is or
| should be democratic both IN character
and origin, and that its best word makers
| are tho unoducatod and not the educated
| classes. We would prefer vivid popular
terms to the artificial creations of ST.,
| entlsts We shall often do better bv I'm
! curing for instance. not what name tho
| inventor gave to his new machine bi,t
| what ii Is called 10y the workmou who
handle II, and IN adopting their huus-Iur
terms and giving them literary ,urrcur,
/ we shall help to preserve tn" living and
| popular character of our speech"