III

ORTHOGRAPHY AND PUNCTUATION

Orthography is that branch of grammar which treats of the elementary sounds of a language, how to represent them by letters or symbols, and the combinations of these letters or symbols to represent words; it includes also the right dividing of words into syllables (as when a word has to be divided at the end of a line), and is directly related to punctuation. In its more restricted and more general understanding, orthography is synonymous with the art of correct spelling. This is probably the most unsatisfactory branch of our grammar. The orthography of the English language is a combination of the phonetic and etymological principles, resulting from the transference of words in whole or in part, from other languages, and the gradual changes and combinations that such words have undergone at the caprice of generations of writers. Hence, in the English language, as now spoken and written, there is in general so imperfect a correspondence between the sound of a word and the sounds of the several letters written

30

ENGINEERING LITERATURE

to represent it, that the spelling of almost e individual word has to be learned by itself

This fact has given rise, during the past years, to a movement in favor of the simp cation of spelling; some enthusiasts desir to drop all silent, and, as they say, redund letters, while others more conservatively only for a simplification and standardization certain classes of words. The National E cational Association has adopted simplif forms for the following twelve words only:

As the tendency in the direction of simplif spelling is growing among periodical publi ers, a writer for the press would do well ascertain, whenever possible, the feelings this respect, held by the editors and publish to whom he may desire to submit manuscrip The majority of publishers have establish sets of rules governing typography, orthog phy, etc., for the use of their writers, and some cases these rules, in printed form, m be had by contributors to these publications

The leading advocate of simplified spelli among the American authorities is probab

* Such a set of rules is given on page 289.

the "Standard Dictionary, "'* in which the editor says:

"In its effort to help in simplifying the spelling of words, this dictionary is conservative, and yet aggressively positive along the lines of reform agreed upon almost unanimously by the leading philologists."

The policy thus briefly outlined has made the "Standard Dictionary" the standard in many offices and it may always be followed as a safe and reliable guide in all matters pertaining to correct spelling.

The "leading philologists" referred to are no doubt the members of such associations as the American Philological Association, the Spelling Reform Association, and the Philological Society of England. These are the foremost bodies interested in the development of simplified spelling, and their recommendations, while not as yet generally adopted by publishers, tend toward a simpler, more logical, and more uniform style of orthography, resulting in a great saving of time in writing. The following general rules have been recommended. for the use of those who are in sympathy with this movement:

Rule 1. (1) Change final "ed" to "t" when so pronounced, as in abashed (abasht), wished (wisht), etc., and, if a double consonant precedes, drop one of the consonants, as in chipped (chipt), dressed (drest), hopped (hopt), etc.

*Published by Funk and Wagnalls, New York.

(2) Retain final "ed" when the "e" affects a preceding sound:

(a) When the preceding vowel sound is long and expressed by a single letter, as the following:

Baked, not bakt, as bakt would be pronounced as backed.

caked, not cakt

craped, not crapt

draped, not drapt gaped, not gapt chafed, not chaft coped, not copt moped, not mopt

roped, not ropt

N. B. The "e" does not affect the preceding vowel sound when expressed by two or more letters, as in booked (bookt), (bookt), bleached

(bleacht), crouched (croucht).

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(b) When a preceding "c" has the sound of "s," as in chanced (not chanct), forced (not forct), faced (not fact), etc.

Rule 2. (1) Drop "ue" at the end of words when the preceding vowel is short or a diphthong, as in dialogue, catalogue, etc. spell dialog, catalog, etc.

Thus,

(2) Retain "ue" when the preceding single vowel is long, as in prorogue, vogue, plague, vague, fatigue, etc.

Rule 3. (1) Drop final "e" from words ending in "ite" when the "i" is short, as hypocrit, opposit, requisit, etc.

(2) Retain final "e" when the "i" is long, as in finite, polite, unite, etc.

Rule 4. Drop final "te" in words like cigarette, coquette, quartette, etc. Thus, spell ciga

ret, coquet, quartet, and all words of the same class which are Anglicized.

Rule 5. (1) Drop final "me" in words like programme, and spell program.

(2) Retain final "me" in written medical prescriptions, where the form gram might be mistaken for grain, and cause serious error.

Rule 6. (1) Drop final "e" from words ending in "ile" when the "i" is short, as in fragil (e, ductil (e, etc.

(2) Retain final "e" when the "i" is long, as in gentile, exile, etc.

Rule 7. (1) Drop final "e" from words ending in "ine" when the "i" is short, as in disciplin (e, doctrin (e, feminin (e, etc.

(2) Retain final "e" when the "i" is long, as in sunshine, machine, etc.

Rule 8. (1) Drop final "e" from words ending in "ise" when the "i" is short, as in premis (e, treatis (e, etc.

(2) Retain final "e" when the "i" is long, as in wise, etc.

Rule 9. Drop "a" from "ea" having the short sound of "e," as in feather, leather, etc.

Rule 10. (1) Drop final "e" from words ending in "ve" when the preceding vowel has its common short sound, as in repulsiv (e, talkativ (e, etc., or is expressed by two letters, as in griev (e, groov (e, etc., the "r" counting with the vowels.

(2) Retain final "e" when the preceding vowel is single or long, as in five, drive, etc.

Rule 11. Change the diagraph "ph" to "f" wherever it has the sound of "f," as in diphtheria (diftheria), telegraph (telegraf), photograph (photograf), naphtha (naftha), etc.