100 Timehri. 



Note the sounds given to the vowels in the following words : 



a- Father played Badmonton. 



e- He sped. 



i- I saw it. 



o- Go 6n. 



u- Use an umbrella, 

 i and u are really diphthongs ; two distinct sounds coalesced. In singing, 

 as Father Cary-Elwes points out, these sounds must be separated to 

 secure distinct enunciation. (The writer has taken singing lessons.) 



We have no sign to represent the pure vowel-sound in aught. Nor 

 have we a sign to represent the pure vowel-sounds in boot and foot. 



But, while English is faulty, French is equally faulty ; though French 

 does not represent a diphthong by a single sign. It does represent a 

 single vowel by a double sign — eau = 5 



French, however, can not represent short-vowels at all by any signs, 

 without the use of diacritical marks or the arbitrary and unscientific 

 method of doubling a consonant following, e.g., cette. 



While the French can not represent short-vowels properly, Pure 

 English can not represent long-vowels properly. We use the same 

 characters of the alphabet but pronounce them differently. 



While it is admittedly arbitrary to make two o's do duty for the 

 single vowel in the word boot ; it is equa ly arbitrary to make a and u do 

 duty for the single vowel-sound in aught (English) and eau (French). 



We nee 1 a new alphabet, which shall allow each sound to be repre- 

 sented by its own sign. Until such an alphabet is evolved, scientific 

 wr ting must have recourse to diacritical marks. 



Compromise which means that both sides give up principles is wrong ; 

 compromise which is the result of recognizing that differences are com- 

 plementary is useful. 



One hopes that some day we may agree to give the French pro- 

 nunciation to the signs. 



a (ah), e (aye), i (ee), o (oh), u (oo) — thus giving grounds 

 to the claims made by Father Cary-Elwes, while adopting diacritical 

 marks, in order to represent the short, the open and the long vowels : 



a (ann) 



e (sped) 



i (it) 



o (on) 



u (umbrella) — thus giving ground to scientific necessity. 



We shall, then, have to agree upon signs to represent the pure 

 vowels, which are sounded in : 



aught, and paw, foot, put. 



