The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1953-08-14
Just Among Ourselves
Passing Comment Considered or ineonsidsrshs

The other day We heard new discussion of
very old subject There was argument about the
correct way Of pronouncing the word blessed is
this word of two syllables blessed, or word of
one syllable to be pronounced like otest!
Mind YOU there is not any question about the
word which is spelled bie5t. This is good dlcton-
arv word no longer listed as poetic form; II
stands en- IFS own as simple adjective OIL one
syllable. Not even Russian could get TWO sgiaDies
into or out of fiveletter word containing only
one short vowel Our question is concerned solely
with the seven letter word spelled blessed.
The old Pedagogue warns us that this word is
really two words II is The past tense, active OF
the verb TO bless. And such 1t IS verb pure
and simple and is pronounced in single syllable.
We say our Lord blessed the loaves and hshes
And this blessed is pronounced exactly as the
adjective best is pronounced.
Now, blessed is not only the past tense active
of the verb TO bless II is also the past parcipie,
passive OF the same verb And participe takes
its name from the fact that it participates in the
nature Of at least two parts OF speech. This paft
ciplc blessed is passive form OF verb, ana II Is
also an adjective. We use 1t as verb IN the SEN
tence The oayes and fishes we're blessed; We
use it as an adjective in the sentence, This IS
blessed day,
The general rule is this the particpe,-the
past parciple passive of the verb to bless IS
pronounced as one syllable when 1t is verb 1t
is pronounced in tco syllabes when It is an adlec-
tive Thus we pronounce the sentences given above
in this way: "The loaves and fishes we're blessed
syllable, TO rhyme with chest; This is
blessed day" - ttco syllables.
When we say the Hail Mary we tell the Blessed
Mother that she is blessed among women We
adj
the rule SAYS that blessed adjective predi-
cate or otherwise has two syllables.
But when We cry Blessed be God" do not
state fact We express a wish The word blessed
is verb it forms complete verb with the word
be- the phrase means, May God be blessed And
the rule says that blessed has only one syllable
when il is verb The phrase, Blessed be God"
is pronounced exactly as though il were "Blest be
God"
Therefore we say Blessed art thou " and
blessed be God = the first blessed has two syllab
les: the second has one. Now even if We should
dsobey the rule and say TO the Blessed Mother
that she is "bleSt" instead OF blessed" should
only outrage either the grammar, or the traditional
spelling of the words in the Hail Mary. But if
we disobey the rule about blessed one-syilabed
verb, and cry Blessed be Cod violate not
only grammar but outrage fact, and come close
to heresy.
For blessed" in two syllables is always an
adjective. II is an adjective like holy" And 1t
would be quite wrong TO wish in an explanatory
prayer, that God may be holy. II would be irrelegi
Gus to say the least, TO hope wish that Holiness
Itself may be holy God IS holy And God Is
blessed What we wish for and hope for
pray Blessed he God is that all men may come
TO recognize the blessednesS of God, and give Him
praise.
A long time ago this question about the proper
pronunciation of blessed was discussed in priests
magazine. one subscriber wrote in that Blessed
be Cod was form established d by long and
general custom besides, he said, il sounds better.
il seems that these two reasons for the Subscri-
hers view inadmSsible Custom cannot sane
ton what is, in strict meaning, not only false
grammar but false doctrine. And il cannot matter
how a thing sounds if what is expressed by the
sound is untrue.
There are parallels in language TO this
business of blessed and blessed Consider
the verb 10 learn. When we say "He learned his
lesson VIC rightly pronounced learned sy
liable But when We use the past particpie, pass
i've of the verb adjective, we give il two
syableS. Therefore we say, HE was a learned
man.
Or take the verb TO age We say that THE
yintner aged the wine meaning that he did some
tnlng, such as keeping the VINE In casks tor an
unconscionahly long time; aged verb:
therefore We give it only syllable But we
say that, THE vnner is an aged man, meaning,
not that he did anything but meaning to describe
him by an adjective; and the adjective aged has
two Syllables.
You may say, But We describe wine as aged
IN the wood and aqed is here an adjective, and
has only syllable" Not So aged is here not
properly an adjective, II is verb.part with the
other parts uneNpressed The phrase, aged in
the wood means that which has been aged in
The wood
Well, maybe all this is ado about nothing. God
reads hearts and minds and is in no wise depen
dent upon words and their pronunciation TO know
what goes in hearts and minds Doubles,
thousands OF perfectly pious and orthodox people
will continue to say Blessed be Cod doubtless
few will insist on making blessed monosyl
liable IN every use, even in the Hail Mary Blu
for those who care, the rule is: Blessed verb
one syllable Blessed as an sd jectiye: tw