The Knickerbocker, Vol. 10, No. 4, October 1837Various
History
The Knickerbocker, Vol. 10, No. 4, October 1837
Various
Periodicals
A NEW ORTHOGRAPHY.--We have been not a little amused, in perusing a
communication recently received from a correspondent in the western
part of this state, wherein the writer gravely proposes an entire
change in the present mode of spelling English words. His own plan
may be gathered from the first paragraph of his article, which we
subjoin, wherein it is shadowed forth. The writer seems sanguine in
relation to his naked theory, which might help many of the English
Grub-street brotherhood, (vide COOPER,) in their slip-shod and
difficult labors for the press; but when a printed book shall be
extant, after this fashion of orthography, we think the general ear
will be erect to devour it up. Seriously, our correspondent must be
aware that he has a 'sinewy opposite' to encounter in the tyrant
Custom; and he will find that if he were to wear a gross of quills to
the pith in setting forth and defending his project, it would avail
him little. Sertinli, the 'hul sistim' iz a veri kuris propozishin on
hiz part, and tharfore we giv our rederz a smol spesmen:
'MR. EDETUR: It haz ben sed that ourz iz an aje ov improvement,
and most emfaticalli it iz so. Siens, which waz wonse but
an objekt ov wonder and kuriositi, iz now the handmade ov
the arts. Mind, itself uninteligibel and inexplorabel, haz
drawn aside the vale that hid from the vu ov the anshunts
the suttel lawz ov nachur, and the operashun ov thoze lawz,
and exhibited the hul sistem az won vast but simpel mashene,
regulated by undeviating and universal prinsipelz. It haz brot
into subjekshun powerz which ware bi the anshunts konsidered
the mirakulus ofspring ov supernal beingz. It haz turned aside
the liteningz ov heven, and subjekted tu itz purposez thingz
not rekognized bi the sensez. Evri thing around us barez ampel
prufe ov the onward march ov impruvement. Ol that relates
tu the plazure, and bizines, whether moral, intelekchual or
fizikal, ov life, exibits rezerch and refinement. Evri thing
haz undergone, or iz undergoing, a radikal chanje, thröing of
its stamp ov rude ineleganse, and assuming the form and polish
ov rich purfekshun; _ol but the orthografi ov our languaje_;
and that, in an aje ov intelekchual glori, retanze ol the
kumbrus deformiti ov Gothik rudenes. No adeqate attempt haz
ben made tu smuthe down itz ruf fechurz, and bring it tu the
modern standard ov perfekshun, simplisiti. And if simplisiti
iz the standard ov buti and perfekshun in ani thing, it shud
emfaticalli be so in relashun tu the use ov thoze sinze or
simbolz that purtane tu the expresshun ov our ideaz. Yet our
orthografi prezentz a konfuzed jumbel ov inkongruus speling,
without sistem or proprieti. Sum letterz having the distinkt
sound ov thre, others ov tu, and mani wordz having won, tu,
thre, and fore, silent letterz.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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