The Washington herald., 1920-06-21
YANKEES USE
PURER DICTION
Schools of United States
Teach Their Pupils Rich
Vocabulary.
SOME EXAMPLES GIVEN
Donford Yates Declares
His Countrymen Are
Careless.
SOME EXAMPLES GIVEN
CwashinEton Herald-PubIic Ledger
Service, Special Cable Dispatch.)

CwashinEton Herald-PubIic Ledger
Service, Special Cable Dispatch.)
London, June 20. Dornford
Yates, writing in the Sunday
Observer, OF London, pays a
tribute to the teaching of the
English language in American pub
lie schools. "As a rule" he writes,
"the vocabularies of the English
man who has been to a public school
and Of his sister are almost as poor
as those of their American cousins
are rich. II English were taught in
our schools as 1t Is taught in the
United States we should not lie un-
der this reproach. 1t is a pity that
so goodly a heritage as the English
speech should not be without honor
save in its own country"
Conceding that the English OF the
indigenous American laborer is not
SO good as that OF his fellows in
this country" Mr.. Yates sets out
to prove his charges against the
kings English" as spoken Is Brit
ain, as follows:
Gives Some Examples.
The regular use by Americans
of the word fall for autumn, and
the uncertainty of some English
men regarding it's ownership, are
illuminating. No American having
authority" would think of claiming
the word, but IL he were to affirm
that in certain American circles
there is spoken today a fairer and
purer English than that generally
used in the corresponding or higher
circles of this country he could not
be truthfully contradicted. :
For proof of this statement we
need not dig very deep.
Among English words get is a
thoroughbred. Pure Anglo-Saxon,
it is a strong verb and one of the
oldest words in our language. 1t
is left to America to preserve in
everyday speech its perfect par
ticiple, gotten in its original form.
NO educated American will mis-
pronounce. towards another pure
Anglo-Saxon word. over which five
out Of six educated English men
and women will come to grief.
I'VE speak OF a job Latin and
Old French), and are hard put to
it to find a synonym for a word
which has parted with what little
dignity ii had. Americans speak
of 'chore,' which is pure Anglo
Savon (cierr- char chore) and means
"A turn of work
AN American will never refer to
the vessel from which we are ac-
customed to drink as a 'tumbler.'
because he has been taught cor
rectly that a 'tumbler' is a drink
ing-glass so called because from
its base ending in a point 1t could
not be set down till completely
empty of liquor.
I'm the United States a Jug be-
comes a pitcher There can be
no manner of doubt which is the
prettier word, and while the ety.
mology Of the former is doubtful
in all probability Is is a slang term
the pedigree of pitcher is clear
enough. The latter is of Greek,
Low Latin and Old French descent.
Elevator is ugly, formal and
aggressively up to date. but the
il names is modern, and
new wine should be put into new
bottles. Our slovenly use of the
word lift in this connection is
disgrace.
Much of the English spoken in
the United States is highly arti-
fetal. For the American who speaks
of "a clarified intellect when he
means a clear head I have little
regard. But 1t is not to his school
that'I am referring"
Copyright. 1920. by Public Ledger Col