Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-28

lived in the Tidewater area or in the
Valley of Virginia.
"A language specialist may be able
TO make even finer distinctions, hut
even the specialist has comparatively
little information on the many dia-
lectal differences in the speech Of our
millions.
Most OF these differences are not
due TO internal development, but are
linked up with the dialects of England,
Scotland and Ireland. The settlers of
this country imported their speech hab-
its, clinging to them or giving them
up, in part at least, for the speech
habits of their new fellows
The Scotch Irish, whose old home
was in Scotland and Northern England
continued to pronounce all their RS in
their new homes in Pennsylvania
Wherever they went they took the r.
habit with them and changed this only
when they mingled with q numerically
or culturally superior group Of r drop
pers, as in certain parts of the South.
Scotch Irish Heritage.
'The prevalence of the r. habit
throughout the Middle West and the
West is at least in part q Scotch Irish
heritage. The Irish who poured into
this country by the hundred thousands
beginning with the middle Of the nine
tenth century may, however. claim a
generous share in fixing the habit
throughout these vast regions.
Movements Of population have ire
mendouS importance in the shaping
and spread OF dialect. The New York
OIL to which the East Side may claim
'foist rights. has been carried to all
parts Of the city. to Long Island. Jersey
and up the Hudson by business men and
working men and commuters have i'm
ported 1t into the Connecticut towns
along the Sound.
This one time vulgar pronunciation
Is last becoming respectable with the
rise OF the 'oi' speakers to commercial,
political and cultural Importance. Not
few professors at Columbia University
are using 1t in somewhat milder form.
EX-Gov. Alfred e. Smith is not the only
man OF prominence to give it social
standing.
The spread of dialect by intercom-
munlcation and migration, the forma-
ZION and spread of class dialects or
levels of speech as determined by So
c1al Stratif1cation, the rise and fall of
speech habits from one level to another
through the rise and fall Of the menu
oefS OF special community from one
social layer to another, are fascinating
problems to the linguist, and doubtless
also to the socialogist, the historian and
any man or woman possessed of some
degree OF intellectual curiosity"
Leaders in the Conference.
Among those who will participate in
me Yale conference are: DrS. Janet
Aiken and W. c. Greet and Profs. H.
M. Ayres and A. v. w. Jackson of CO.
lumbia. Prof. Edward c. Armstrong of
Princeton, Profs. r. p. DouEherty
Franklin Edgerton, Edward PrOkosch,
H. B. Richardson. Z. H. Sturtevant, Ru-
dolph Willard and Karl Young Of Yale:
Dr.. stephen Einarsson, Profs. Frank r.
Blake and Kemp Malone Of Johns Hop
kins; Profs. G. M. Boiling, Hans Ku-
rath and g. Oscar Russell of Ohio
state; Profs. Leonard Bloomfield, T.
Atkinson Jenkins and c. 4. Parmenter
OF University Of Chicago; Prof. Miles l..
Hanley Of University of Wisconsin.
Also Prof. r. G. Kent of University
OF Pennsylvania, Prof Samuel Moore Of
University of Michigan, DR.. Dorothy ].
Kaucher OF University of Missouri,
Prof. Milton Metfessel Of University Of
Iowa. Prof. Jess H. Jackson of Uni
versity Of Texas, Prof. Walter Peter
sen of University of Florida, Prof.
Pound Of University of Nebraska, Prof.
George M. Stephenson Of University of
MlAlIlcSOtd, FTOl. n. L. AlcAhLucT VI
Queens University, Canada; Prof.
George O. Curme Of Northwestern Uni
versity, Prof Joseph Dunn Of Catholic
University. Prof. Dean 8. Fansler Of
Brown University.
Also Prof. E. C. Roedder Of College
Of the City Of New York, Prof. Ina May
Greer Of South Dakota State College,
Prof. John 8. Kenyon of Hiram Col
lege, Prof. Otto Muller Of Gettysburg
College, Prof. R. e. Saleski of Bethany
College, Prof. Miriam r. Small Of Wells
College, Prof Helen NJ Scurr of Junior
College of America, Bridgeport, Conn;
DR.. Waldo G. Leland. permanent secre-
tary American Council Of Learned So
cieties: Mortimer Graves, American
Council of Learned Societies; Percy w.
Long Of Springfield, Mass.