Damas. * * * The Prince of Como does not
understand his own language.
Melnotte. Not as you pronounce it: Who the
deuce could?
It may be regarded as one of the commendablepeculiarities of the English language that, despiteprovincialisms, vulgarisms, neglected education, foreignaccent, and the various corrupting influences towhich it is subjected, it may be understood whereverit is heard, whatever differences of distance orassociations may have existed between the speakerand the listener, both claiming familiarity with it.Considering these influences and the arbitrariness ofthe orthoepical rules of the language, there has beenexpressed surprise that frequent degenerations intouncouth dialects or patois have not occurred. Adecent regard for the common weal should causegratification that such degenerations have not takenplace, for were it not for the ability of our tongueto preserve its individuality against the tendencytoward corruption, we might reasonably fear such aBabel-like confusion, that, when asked, "Do you [Pg iv]speak English?" one might appropriately, sans theprofanity, reply in the language of the text, "Notas you pronounce it: Who the deuce could?" Whilethe majority of people place no other value uponlanguage than that of convenience, and are indifferentto any corruption, so long as they can simplyunderstand and be understood, there is happily abetter class, the æsthetic cultivation of which is suchthat those who belong to it are anxious to preservethe purity of our vernacular and are ashamed of allerrors of speech in their daily conversations. Forsuch it will not be uninteresting to look over a numberof errors, principally of pronunciation, that arenot formally laid down as such in books, and whichpeople, even many of the best educated, are constantlycommitting, just because they have never hadtheir attention called to them. These errors are becomingmore deeply rooted every day and if notsoon eradicated, it will not be many years before ourorthoepic standard will be overthrown as it was inEngland some years ago.
Smart, one of the most celebrated of English orthoepists,in the preface of his dictionary says: "Theproprietors of Walker's dictionary, finding it wouldslide entirely out of use unless it were adapted tothe present day, engaged me as a teacher of elocution,known in London since Walker's time, to makethe necessary changes." A standard pronouncingdictionary is a work that involves an extraordinary [Pg v]amount of labor and research in its compilation,and exerts an influence almost autocratical. Thepossibility of its becoming worthless in a short timeis strange, especially when it is not on account ofany work claiming superiority, but merely becauseerror long persisted in finally becomes more authoritativethan the original exemplar. With little effort,however, we can discern the causes. Persons are aptto acquire the pronunciation and use of the greaternumber of words by imitation, rather than by study.With confidence in the knowledge of the parent,teacher, minister,