In order, den, tu overtek dis moderet standard, de efifensi ov de prezent mafineri most bi inkrist mor dan tenfold, tu se natin ov de "hjer subjekts" agrid spon tu bi tot in primari skulz bi de London Bord, whig ol wil admit tu bi most dezįrabel, olto most edukefonists wil bi disperzd tu konsider dat ferst ov ol wi at tu deviz som minz bị whig ol our gildren me bi tot tu rid ordinari buks. Hou iz dis spelin difikalti tu bi met? Dr Morél and Mr Miklejon propez, bį konstruktiŋ skul buks in whig de anomalos wordz ar kept out ov sit til a leter stej ov de gild'z progres, tu get over de difikalti in som mezur. But it iz wel nen dat som ov de most pozlin wordz tu gildren ar de nemz ov finz "familiar in der moutz az houshold wordz," az ni, toy, í (knee, tongue, eye), and oder wordz in konstant us, sog az hį, rit, nó, tú, et, frend, kof, rsf (high, right, know, two, eight, friend, cough, rough), ets. And it wud bi difikult tu frem sentensez in dát natural, floin stil whig gildren delįt in, widout komin akros wordz lik diz. But de fetal objekson tu dis plan iz de tasit konfefon whig iz implid in it, dat it iz hoples and usles tu atempt eni revizon ov Inglis ortografi. de onli anser tu sog a doktrin nided iz a kategorikal stetment ov whot meni pipel inwardli tink-dát iz tu se, dat spelin iz a mater tu bi steriotipt for ever in de prezent fason. Tu dis won sobjekt de lo ov finaliti iz tu bi aplid; spelin iz akordig tu de loz ov de Midz and Perfianz, a tin whig genjet not! Gud hevenz! He fed ov Kadmos and de gest ov Kakston wud bi fokt at sug a doktrin sterd in de later hsf ov de ninting senturi, and nowon wud bi mor sorprizd dan Dr Samuel Jonson tu lern, dat hi woz tu bi instold az a literari Pop in perpetuiti onder a nu dogma ov leksikografikal infalibiliti. diz iz de mor sorprizin stil when it iz konsiderd dat Ingland iz about de onli kontri in Urop wher de ortografi haz not bin revizd bį som rekognizd otoriti, and dat spelin iz about de onli sobjekt in Ingland whig haz not bin adapted tu modern rekwįrments. Tek our sistem ov wets and mezurz. de adopson ov a beter metod iz nou onli a kwestion ov tim and jeneral konviniens. Iz der eni argument in favor ov an imprwvd sistem ov wets and mezurz whig doz not aplį a fortiori tu imprwvments in spelin? Ar der eni objekfonz agenst a revizon ov de ortografi whig wud not bi aplikabel in a stronger degri agenst a revizon ov de Skriptur translefon, or, indid, agenst eni imprwvment whotever? HE SPELIW DIFIKULTI. Mis Ejwere sez:-"Lernin tu rid iz de most difikult ov human atenments; a dredful task tu lern, and, if posibel, a mor dredful task tu tig." Ser Bulwer Liton sez:-" A mer ljin, round-about, pozel-heded deluzon dan đát bị whię wi konfuz de klir instinkts ov trout in our akorsed sistem ov spelin woz never konkokted bį de fster ov folshud. Hou kan a sistem ov edukeson florif dat beginz bi se monstros a folshud, whig de sens ov hirin sufizez tu kontradikt?" Rev. D. C. Ginsberg, LL. D.-" hav had mug tu duu wit spelin and literari work, and, az ekzaminer in several fiolojikal kolejez, į hav got ekzamine fon peperz from hįli-eduketed students-som ov dem gradųsts in de universitiz-in whig te spelin somtimz kristed perfekt amyzment. de spelin simz an insurmountabel difikulti in der lif." Ser C. E. Trevelyan, K.C.B.-" de Inglis sistem ov spelių (į protest agenst its biin kold ordografi) iz a labirint, a keos, an absurditi, a disgres tu our ej and nefon. It formz de prinsipal difikalti ov our langwej-whig iz de mer prøvekin, az der iz natin in de struktur ov Inglis whiç kolz for it-and kozez tu anyali-inkrisin milionz in ol de før kworterz ov de gløb an enormes onnesesari ekspenditur ov valuabel tim, and stil mer valuabel temper. He amount ov veksefon and diskorejment and los ov tim whiç iz kozd everi yir, espesali tu forenerz (and tu multitudz ov juvenil forenerz tu de world ov leterz in our on land), bị đe ekstrimli inkorekt we ov spelin nou in us iz inkalkulabel." Maks Müler. “Fot not tu omit hir ["Lekturz on de Sjens ov Langwej," deliverd at de Roial Instituson, London, 1863, sekond siriz, 8vo., pej 97], tu menfon de valuabel servisez renderd bị đơz hu, for nirli twenti yirz, hav bin leborin in Ingland tu torn de rezults ov sjentifik reserg tu praktikal us, in devizin and propagetin a nų sistem ov Brif Ritin and Trw Spelin, best non onder de nem ov de Fonetik Reform. I am far from underretin de difikultiz dat stand in de we ov sug a reform, and i am not so sangwin az tu indulj in eni hops ov siin it karid for de nekst fri or før jenerefonz. Bot į fil konvinst ov de trut and rizonabelnes ov de prinsipelz on whig dat reform rests, and az de innet regard for trut and rizon, houever dormant or timid at timz, haz olwez prwvd irrezistibel in de end, ensblin men tu part wit ol de held most dir and sekred, wheder korn loz, or Stuart dinastiz, or pepal legets, or hiden įdolz, į dout not dat de efit and korspt ortografi wil folo in der tren. Nefonz hav befor nou genjd der numerikal figurz, der leterz, der kronoloji, der wets and mezurz; and do Mr Pitman me not liv tu si de rezults ov hiz persevirin and disinterested ekzerfonz, it rekwįrz no profetik pouer tu persiv dat whot at prezent iz pu-pud bį de meni, wil mek its we in de end, unles met bį arguments stronger dan doz hidertu leveld at de Fonetik Nyz. Won argument whig mit bi sspøzd tu we wit de student ov langwej, nemli, de obskursjon ov de etimolojikal struktur ov wordz, į kanot konsider veri formidabel. de pronounsiefon ov langwejez genjez akordin tu fikst loz, de spelin iz genjd in de most arbitrari maner, so dat if our spelin folod de pronensisjon ov wordz, it wud in rialiti bi a greter help tu de kritikal student ov langwej dan de prezent onserten and unsjentifik med ov ritin." Out ov 1,972 felurz in de Sivil Servis Ekzaminefonz, 1,866 kandidats wer plakt for spelin. CONTENTS. PAGE SECTION 1. Prefatory Remarks 3 SECTION 2.-The value of the present time for action and co-operation 9 11 old-of Latin origin 14 SECTION 5. The alphabets and systems of spelling with which the Eng lish must be compared 16 SECTION 6.-The pronunciative objection. The defects of French ortho graphy 18 SECTION 7. The representation of language never keeps pace with the changes of language itself. The badness of the French system of spelling 19 SECTION 8.-The etymological principle 20 ... SECTION 9.-Original insufficiency of letters-orthographic expedients 24 26 Koran SECTION 12. The alphabet in its earliest forms SECTION 15. The Phonetic as opposed to the Etymological principle (a) The Eastern or Asiatic Group SECTION 17.-Alphabets undoubtedly derived from the Phœnician, (b) The Western or European group. The Greek and its derivatives... SECTION 18.-General view of the four classes of alphabets-the Phœnician group 38 45 SECTION 19.-General view of the Greek group 46 SECTION 20.-General view, etc. -The alphabet concerning the origin of which opinion is divided 46 SECTION 21.-General view, etc., alphabets of Latin origin 47 SECTION 22.- The Latin alphabet 48 SECTION 23. The Latin alphabet-The order of the letters 49 SECTION 24.- The merits of the Latin alphabet 50 SECTION 25.- The demerits of the Latin alphabet 50 SECTION 26. - The substitution of the letter C for K-K and S as sounds 52 55 SECTION 28.- The substitution of C for K continued-C as the element of a Digraph 63 SECTION 29.-The substitution of C for K continued.--The parallelism between C and G, CH and J 66
PAGE SECTION 32.-The Phonetic principle SECTION 33.-Limitations of the Phonetic principle continued its influ- SECTION 34.-The Phonetic system-its occasional liability to be applied prematurely. Its influence upon the fixation of a language.-Histori- SECTION 44.-Dialects of the Anglo-Saxon and Old English SECTION 45.-Extension of the Phonetic Principle and subjects allied to Phonetic spelling, as specially applied to the English Language |