SECTION V.

ORTHOEPY.

GOOD USAGE. The standard of correct pronunciation is good usage. Good usage implies the pronunciation of the educated and intellectual classes of society. The standard of good usage is found in the dictionaries of a language. In the United States, the standard dictionaries are Webster's and Worcester's.

The standard of pronunciation is never absolutely undeviating. Custom, from time to time, changes the pronunciation of words; but the number of these changes is not large. Whenever general good usage changes the pronunciation or the spelling of a word, this change soon finds its way into a new edition of the dictionary. The dictionary, then, remains the standard of good usage. There are a few hundred words in our language that have two authorized pronunciations, either of which is allowable.

AFFECTATIONS. All affectations in pronunciation should be carefully avoided. The affectation of either and neither, for either and neither, is a case in point. Avoid inquiry for in quir'y. There is no better test of culture, scholarship, and refinement, than a correct pronunciation.

On this point, Prof. William Russell says: "Individual opinion, when it is at variance with this important and useful principle of accommodation, gives rise to eccentricities, which neither the authority of profound learning, nor that of strict accuracy and system, can redeem from the charge of pedantry.

"It is a matter of great importance to recognize the rule of authorized custom, and neither yield to the influence of those errors which, through inadvertency, will creep into occasional or local use; nor, on the other

hand, be induced to follow innovations or changes adopted without sufficient sanction. A cultivated taste is always perceptible in pronunciation, as in every other expression of mind; and errors in pronouncing are unavoidably associated with a deficiency in the rudiments of a good education."

PROVINCIALISMS. Provincialisms, or the peculiar pronunciation prevailing in certain localities or sections of our country, must be studiously corrected and avoided. It is to this class of errors that teachers must carefully direct their attention. The force of habit is so strong that pupils continue to mispronounce words long after they know the pronunciation to be incorrect.

Provincialisms most commonly consist of some variation or perversion of vowel sounds: as half for hälf, călf for calf, laugh for läugh, etc.; of tew for to, trew for true, dew for do, yew for you; of grass for gråss, ask for åsk, last for låst, etc.; of dawg or dorg for dog; of git for gět, gut for got, etc.; of toon for tūne, noo for new, dooty for duty, etc.; of op for up, onder for under; of skewl for school, rewl for rule.

Another class of these errors consists in misplacing the accent of words; as, I'de a for i de'a, ǎd'ult for a dult', re'cess for re cess', eon věx for eon'vex, ex tănt'

for

for ex'tant, in ter est'ing for In'ter est ing, Il'lus trate for il lus'trate, robust for ro bŭst', tí'rade for ti rade', ve he'ment for vē’he ment.

In this connection, the following lines from Oliver Wendell Holmes convey a valuable lesson:

1. A few brief stanzas may be well employed
To speak of errors we can all avoid.

Learning condemns beyond the reach of hope
The careless churl that speaks of soap for soap:
Her edict exiles from her fair abode

The clownish voice that utters road for road,

Less stern to him who calls his coat a coat,
And steers his boat believing it a boat,.
She pardoned one, our classic city's boast,
Who said, at Cambridge, most instead of most;
But knit her brows, and stamped her angry foot,
To hear a teacher call a root a root.

2. Once more speak clearly, if you speak at all;
Carve every word before you let it fall;

Do n't, like a lecturer or dramatic star,
Try over hard to roll the British r;
Do put your accents in the proper spot;

Don't let me beg you-do n't say "How?" for "What?"
And, when you stick on conversation's burrs,
Don't strew the pathway with those dreadful urs.

I. WORDS OFTEN MISPRONOUNCED.

[By misplacing the accent.]

The only variations from "Webster's Dictionary," in the following lists, include a few words in relation to which it may be said that good usage is in advance of the dictionary.

First, require pupils to pronounce the following words in concert; then require each pupil, singly, in turn, to pronounce five or more words.

I shall absent myself to-day and shall be ab'sent to

morrow.

Accent the word with the proper accent.

Affix an affix properly.

I shall comment on your com'ment.

We confine' the animal and erect his con'fines.
We conjure him not to conjure.

He consorts' with his con'sort.

I contest' and so enter the con'test.

We contract' and make a contract.

We contrast and produce the contrast.
We convert and gain con'verts.

We convict and confine con'victs.

We desert' into the des'ert without our dessert'.

We entrance' him at the entrance.

We escort with an es'cort.

I essay to produce an essay.

We export our ex'ports.

We extract' an ex'tract.

We frequent' the hall and make fre'quent calls.
They misconduct' and are punished for misconduct.
We object' to your ob ́ject.

Prefix' the pre'fix.

We prelude with the proper prelude.

We premise and give the base of the prem'ise.

I present the letter and make a present.