In the latter part of the nineteenth century renewed interest was
manifested in the problem of English spelling. For nearly 400 years the English
have struggled with their spelling. It was one of the chief problems that seemed
to confront the language in the time of Shakespeare , and it continued to be an issue throughout the
seventeenth and to some extent in the eighteenth century.
The publication in 1837 of a system of shorthand by Isaac Pitman led to his
proposal of several plans of phonetic spelling for general use. In these
schemes Pitman was assisted by Alexander J.Ellis, a much greater scholar. They
were promoted during the 1840s by the publication of a periodical called the Phonotypic
Journal, later changed to the Phonetic Journal. The Bible and
numerous classic works were printed in the new spelling, and the movement
aroused considerable public interest.
By 1870 the English Philological Society had taken up the question, and the
Transactions contain numerous discussions of it. The discussion spread into the columns of the Academy
and the Athenaeum. America became interested in the question, and in
1883 the American Philological Association recommended the adoption of a long
list of new spellings approved jointly by it and the English society. Spelling
Reform Associations were formed in both countries. In 1898 the National
Education Association formally adopted for use in its publications twelve
simplified spellings—tho, altho, thoro, thorofare, thru, thruout, program,
catalog, prolog, decalog, demagog, and pedagog. Some of these have
come into general use, but on the whole the public remained indifferent.
In 1906 there was organized in the United States a Simplified Spelling
Board, supported by a contribution from Andrew Carnegie. Their first practical step
was to publish a list of 300 words for which different spellings were in use (judgement—judgment,
mediaeval—medieval, etc.) and to recommend the simpler form. This was a
very moderate proposal and met with some favor. Theodore Roosevelt endorsed it.
But it also met with opposition, and subsequent lists that went further were not
well received. Newspapers, magazines, and book publishers continued to use the traditional
orthography, and though the Simplified Spelling Board continued to issue from
time to time its publication, Spelling, until 1931, its accomplishment
was slight, and it eventually went out of existence.
The efforts that have been described produced only slender results,because
many people opposed to any radical change in English spelling. But the efforts were successful in stimulating public interest for a time and
gained the support of various people whose names carried weight. It is probably safe to say that if English
spelling is ever to be reformed, it must be reformed gradually and with as
little disruption to the existing system as is consistent with the attainment
of a reasonable end.
Reference:
A
History of the English Language. Baugh, Albert C., and Thomas Cable. 4th ed. Englewood
Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1993.
