Chips from a German Workshop, Volume 5: Miscellaneous Later EssaysMüller, F. Max (Friedrich Max)
Religion
Chips from a German Workshop, Volume 5: Miscellaneous Later Essays
Müller, F. Max (Friedrich Max)
Comparative linguistics; Folklore; Literature -- History and criticism; Mythology; Religions
It meit be sed, houever, that Mr. Pitman’z sistem, bei[n] enteirli
fonetik, iz too radikal a reform, and that meni and the w[u]rst
irregiularitiz in I[n]glish speli[n] kud be removed without goï[n] kweit
so far. The prinsipel that haf a loaf iz beter than no bred iz not without
s[u]m tru[t], and in meni kasez we nó that a polisi ov kompromeiz haz been
prod[u]ktiv ov veri gud rez[u]lts. B[u]t, on the [u]ther hand, this
haf-harted polisi haz often retarded a real and komplete reform ov
ekzisti[n] abiúsez; and in the kase ov a reform ov speli[n], ei almost
dout hwether the difik[u]ltiz inherent in haf-me[z]urz ar not az great az
the difik[u]ltiz ov karii[n] a komplete reform. If the w[u]rld iz not redi
for reform, let [u]s wait. It seemz far beter, and at all events far more
onest, tu wait til it iz redi than tu kari the rel[u]ktant wurld with you
a litel way, and then tu feind that all the impulsiv forse iz spent, and
the greater part ov the abiúsez establisht on fermer ground than ever.
Mr. Jones,(70) who reprezents the konsiliatori reformerz ov speli[n], wud
be satisfeid with a moderet skeme ov speli[n] reform, in hwich, bei
obzervi[n] analoji and folowi[n] presedent in olteri[n] a komparativli
small n[u]mber ov w[u]rdz, it wud be posibel tu simplifei ortografi tu a
konsiderabel ekstent without apleii[n] eni niu prinsipel, or introdiúsi[n]
niu leterz, and yet tu rediús the teim and labor in teachi[n] readi[n] and
speli[n] bei at least w[u]n-haf. It meit at all events be posibel tu setel
the speli[n] ov thoze two or three touzand w[u]rdz hwich at prezent ar
speld diferentli bei diferent au[t]oritiz. This skeme, advokated bei Mr.
Jones, iz sertenli veri klever; and if it had a chans ov s[u]kses, ei
meiself shud konsider it a great step in adváns. Mei onli dout iz hwether,
in a kase leik this, a small me[z]ur ov reform wud be karid more eazili
than a komplete reform. It iz diferent in Jerman, hwere the diseaz haz not
spred so far. Here the Komíti apointed bei G[u]vernment tu konsider the
kwestion ov a reform ov speli[n] haz deklared in favor ov s[u]m s[u]ch
moderet prinsipelz az Mr. Jones advokates for I[n]glish. In I[n]glish,
houever, the difik[u]ti leiz in chanji[n] eni[t]i[n]; and if the prinsipel
ov eni chanje iz w[u]ns admited, it wud reali be eazier, ei believ, tu
begin _de novo_ than tu chanje s[u]m[t]i[n], and leav the rest
[u]nchanjed.
Let [u]s nou see hou Mr. Pitman’z or eni similar sistem ov fonetik
reiti[n] haz w[u]rkt hwere it haz been put tu the test.
Mr. William White reits: “Ei speak from eksperiens. Ei hav taught poor
children in Glasgow tu read the Sermon on the Mount after a kourse ov
ekserseizez ekstendi[n] over no more than siks ourz.”
The folowi[n] iz an ekstrakt from a leter riten s[u]m teim ago bei the
late Mr. William Colbourne, manajer ov the Dorset Ba[n]k at St[u]rminster,
tu a frend ov hiz a skoolmaster. He sez:—
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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