THE HAMILTON ASSOCIATION, I05 



If we are to accept the testimony of one who has done much to 

 promote the study of comparative grammar throughout the world> 

 Professor Max Muller, of Oxford, the etymological structure of our 

 language would not be obscured by phonetic spelling. He says, 

 "The pronunciation of language changes according to fixed laws, 

 the spelling is changed in the most arbitrary manner, so that if spell- 

 ing followed the pronunciation of words it would in reality be a 

 greater help to the critical student of language than the present un- 

 certain and unscientific mode of writing." The same eminent scholar 

 has also stated it as his opinion that " English spelling is a national 

 misfortune." 



Benjamin Franklin stated his views respecting reformed spelling 

 in a communication addressed to a Miss Stephenson, in 1768. This 

 letter is written in his own phonetic alphabet, and the intention of 

 the writer is to meet objections to the proposed reform. It is worthy 

 of mention that even then " the wholly mistaken objection," as Pro- 

 fessor Sayce terms it, " that all etymologies would be lost," was put 

 forward. 



To trace etymologies with any degree of success it would, in my 

 opinion, be of prime importance that the student should not only 

 have a thorough knowledge of his native tongue, and of the principles 

 ot scientific philology, but be well acquainted with the other lan- 

 guages concerned in the research. Changes in sound, as well as 

 changes in meaning, follow fixed laws, and he who would trace 

 etymologies successfully must understand the operation of such laws. 



" The scientific etymologist," says Max Muller, '' would wel- 

 come an accurate representation of sounds by symbols ; his object is 

 to know what sounds pass into others in the course of centuries, and 

 this he can only ascertain when the spelling represents the pronun- 

 ciation." 



In Dean Swift's time the " etymological " objection seems to 

 have been advanced, else why should that prince of satirists pro- 

 ceed to prove that the Greek and Latin languages were derived from 

 English ? I may be permitted to repeat one of his facetious " ety- 

 mologies " which may prove of some assistance at this stage of a 

 somewhat serious subject. Swift assures us that the name of the cele- 

 brated general, Annibal, or Hannibal, arose from the fact that he 

 was an expert in tennis playing, and could, therefore, take " any ball." 

 Alexander the Great, we are seriously told, was very fond of eggs 



