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Read Ebook: Every-Day Errors of Speech by Meredith L P
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Ebook has 74 lines and 38928 words, and 2 pages
What allowance can an intelligent congregation make for their minister who has nothing else to do but prepare his sermons, if, besides a multitude of common English mistakes, he pronounces more than half of his scriptural names in a manner that is not sanctioned by any authority?
When the orotund medical professor stands up to address his students, or to engage in the discussions of a convention, and rolls out technicality after technicality pronounced in a manner that would be disowned by the original Latin or Greek, and is totally at variance with established usage, who would not ask for a little less elegance and a little more education? If it required a great amount of labor outside of the usual course of study for professional men to acquire a knowledge of the pronunciation of words peculiar to the professions, the subject might be treated with more tolerance; but as the definitions and the orthoepy might be so readily learned together during those years of daily reference to books that are required before one should be considered competent to stand as a guide to others, it certainly seems that they do not properly appreciate the dignity of their position by thus laying themselves open to public criticism.
Many a student, in order to become instructed in certain branches, has been compelled to reluctantly sit for months or years at the feet of those that he felt were far inferior to him in common school education, hearing hourly such violations of orthoepy and syntax as would be a discredit to school children. And, doubtless, many such students have had such a charity for their teachers that they have wished to direct their attention to their faults, but have been restrained on account of the fear of enmity, expulsion, or of lessening the chances for passing the final examination.
The bare thought of being so criticised should be so galling to any one bearing the dignified title of "professor," that he ought to be stimulated to endeavor to make himself an authority concerning the proprieties of speech.
The study of orthoepy was held in such high esteem by the accent Greeks, and their delicate ears were so offended by any violation of its rules, that if an orator mispronounced a single word, the entire audience immediately hissed him.
During the present state of pronunciation it would indeed be embarrassing to the public speaker, if such a custom existed in this country. Let us imagine, for instance, our friend Professor Abdominous Gynaecophonus, with his face ebullient with smiles of self-conceit, arising to address such an audience. "Gentlemen: I have listened patiently to this op?po-nent of al?lo-path-y and now arise to make a few remarks and in?quir-ies . In answer to his objections against hy-os-cy-??mus as an anodyne and s??por-if-ic, I would say that in cases of cough and sleeplessness, I have long used hyoscyamia combined in tr??ch?z without any of those effects that the p?t?ron of h??me-o-path-y mentions. And having made almost a specialty of the treatment of f???i-al neuralgia or tic-d?l-o-r???" --and it would certainly be time for him to dolorously sit down, although he might raise the question--
MEDICAL AND DENTAL WORDS.
SENTENCES FOR PRACTICE.
The following extract is from the letter of a friend, to whom were sent some of the advance pages of this work: "I am absolutely filled with astonishment to see how many simple words I have been mispronouncing all my life, and would have kept on mispronouncing to the end of my days if my thoughts had not been directed to them. If I were in your place I would end the book with a story in which all the words would be used in the course of the narrative. I can imagine no amusement more instructive or interesting than for a social party to read in turns, under some penalty for each mistake."
I had myself conceived the idea of presenting the words untrammeled with explanation of the orthoepy, or marks of accent; but the form was not decided upon.
The effort to compose a narrative was abandoned after a fair trial; for to have a plot and also bring the words in natural position would require a large volume; otherwise, it made senseless jumble. In the trial sentences given the objects are gained in small space. Those objects are to allow readers to exercise the memory and test their friends; and at the same time to use the words syntactically. It is hoped that the reader will pardon any absurdities of context; as they can not be avoided where one is compelled to use so many selected words, and is obliged to force them into a small compass.
MELANGE.
VIOLATED RULES OF GRAMMAR.
Many, who claim to be good grammarians, are occasionally guilty of the violation of certain important rules. Attention is solicited to a few of the more common errors of this nature.
NUMBER.
EACH OTHER--ONE ANOTHER.
NEITHER, NOT--NOR.
TO BE, UNITING WORDS.
THAN, AS.
WHO.
Errors connected with the use of this word are very common, even amongst good speakers.
ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS.
THESE, THOSE.
INTO.
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