_Chore_, a corruption of _char_, is an English word, still used in many parts of England, as a _char-man_, a _char-woman_, but in America, it is perhaps confined to New England. It signifies small domestic jobs of work, and its place cannot be supplied by any other single word in the language. These local words, and others of less note, are gradually growing into disuse, and will probably be lost: Except such as are necessary in some particular occupation. The pronunciation of _w_ for _v_ is a prevailing practice in England and America: It is particularly prevalent in Boston and Philadelphia.[52] Many people say _weal_, _wessel_, for _veal_, _vessel_. These letters are easily mistaken for each other, and the name of the letter _w_ now used, is a proof that the letter _v_ was formerly called _u_ or _oo_. The letter in the Roman language had the sound we now give _w_ in _will_. _Via_ and _vinum_, pronounced _wia_, _winum_, have suffered but a small change of pronunciation in our _way_, _wine_. In old English books, down to Shakespear, _v_ was written for the short _u_, as _vp_, _vnder_; for _up_, _under_. On the other hand, _u_ was written where we now write _v_, as _uery_, _euery_, for _very_, _every_. It seems therefore, that _v_ had formerly the sound of _w_ or _oo_; and that instead of corrupting the language, the Cockneys in London, and their imitators in America, who say _weal_, _wery_, have retained the primitive pronunciation. In confirmation of this opinion, it may be observed that the Danes, who speak a dialect of the Saxon, have no _w_ in their language, but where we write _w_, they write _v_, and where we write _wh_, they invariably write _hv_; as _vind_, _wind_; _vej_, _way_; _vader_, _wade_; _hvad_, _what_; _hvide_, _white_; _hvi_, _why_. The Germans, whose language is another branch of the same stock, invariably pronounce _w_ as we do _v_; _wall_, _vall_; _wir_, _vir_, _we_; _wollen_, _vollen_, _will_; and _v_ they pronounce as we do _f_; as _vergessen_, _fergessen_, which is the same as the English _forget_. The retaining the old sound of _v_ is a proof of the force of custom; but since the nation in general have annexed to it a precise sound, as well as to _w_, every person should resign his peculiarities for the sake of uniformity. But there are some points in pronunciation, in which the best informed people differ, both in opinion and practice.