atw: Re: Spelling Society centenary

Michael Lewis:
On Tue, 20 May 2008 10:34:21 +1000,  you wrote:
> In response to Stephen Nason:
>
> Standardisation of spelling was an inevitable consequence of the mass =3D=
 production of
> books. In English, the first problem was to get the dialect =3D choices=
 right; Caxton had
> to choose between "eyren" and "eigies" for the =3D things we now call=
 "eggs". (Note that,
> even now, with child, ox, and =3D sometimes brother, we have -[r]en plural=
 forms.) But,
> once that choice was =3D made, the process began of propagating spelling=
 standards
> throughout =3D literate society. The attitudes expressed by Johnson and=
 Chesterfield =3D
> weren't unduly extreme for their time, but they didn't become fully =3D=
 entrenched until
> the advent of mass education in the C19th.
>

But let's just pause here.... when it comes to the attitude expressed by Sam=
 Johnson, it's as
well to recall what he seemed to think on the subject, after some=
 deliberation....

"Those who have been persuaded to think well of my design will require that=
 I should fix our language, and put a stop to those alterations which time=
 and chance have hitherto been suffered to make in it without opposition.=
 With this consequence I will confess that I flattered myself for a while;=
 but now begin to fear that I have indulged expectation which neither reason=
 nor experience can justify."

(extract from preface to the Dictionary, cited at=
 http://www.cyberpat.com/essays/sam.html by Patrick Galloway, with other=
 attributions and background info.)

Rather than spelling per se, Johson did seem to be more interested in=
 exemplifying good style which is something quite different...

-Peter M

 

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