1 6 Miles Walker, The History of English Spelling 



spoken language. If the written language was an exact 

 representation of the spoken, we should have only one 

 language to learn instead of two. We must look at this 

 matter from a logical point of view : the object of language is 

 to convey thought, first by sound and second by sign. We 

 can see from the early writers that their intention was to make 

 the written word represent the spoken word on a purely 

 phonetic system. That was a rational method of going to 

 work ; and if we only make a slight improvement in the tools 

 they had, we can very easily carry out their intention with 

 success, so as to have the same language spoken and written. 



(6) Some plead for the preservation of our ancient beau- 

 tiful language. I have tried to show that the present spelling, 

 far from preserving the interesting history of the words, only 

 distorts and obliterates that history in a good many cases, 

 and shows a record of nothing more than fancifulness and bad 

 scholarship. An academy should be instituted with power to 

 eradicate these spurious and illogical spellings, and make the 

 language more in accordance with the intentions of pure 

 etymologists. Far from being a bar to progress, such an 

 academy would control the continual advancement of our 

 language. 



I have tried to show that in the early days, up to the 

 seventeenth century, the language passed through many 

 interesting chapters. It was then fixed in a chrysalis and 

 remained immovable for two hundred years. I ask now that 

 we shall break the chrysalis and let our winged words form 

 themselves in all their natural beauty. I ask that we shall 

 have a new chapter, which to the future etymologist will be 

 the best and most interesting of them all. 



