1 8 MAIZE 



chap, good reasons for dropping the e and adopting the spelling 



I. 



mats 



(I). Simplified spelling is a demand of the age, which should 

 be complied with where there is good reason and authority. 



(2). The e is unnecessary from the phonetic standpoint. 



(3). The etymology of the word does not appear to provide 

 for it. 



(4). The form mays may, perhaps, have better claims to 

 adoption from the etymological point of view, and is part of 

 the botanical name of the plant, but is not in such general use 

 in continental languages, and would be less easily adopted. 



(5). Maiz is the form in use in Germany, Spain, Portugal, 

 Italy, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina, as already 

 noted. 



(6). The authorities already cited seem ample. It remains 

 for the literary and scientific public to decide whether the 

 suggested change is sound, and whether it should be generally 

 adopted. 



17. The Word Corn. — Corn as used in American literature 

 designates maize. The Saxon word " corn," Teutonic korn 

 (whence Afrikaans " koren "), is the general term for any cereal, 

 and is applied in any country to that cereal most extensively 

 used there for human food ; in England the words " corn " 

 and the " corn trade " as generally used, refer to wheat, while 

 in America they usually mean maize. Recent American writers 

 on cereals are endeavouring to introduce the word " maize'' as 

 a substitute for "corn," as the South African Department of 

 Agriculture is endeavouring to use it in place of " mielie ". 



The term corn or grain has been applied to maize in the 

 following countries : United States and Canada (corn, Indian 

 corn) ; Great Britain (Indian corn) ; Sweden (korn) ; Holland 

 (Turks koren) ; Belgium (Turkisch koorn) ; Germany (Turk- 

 ischer korn) ; Greece (Arabosite, i.e. Arabian corn) ; Formosa 

 (fanmeh, i.e. foreign corn); Russia (Tureskorichljeb, i.e. 

 Turkish corn) ; Japan (nan bamthbi, i.e. foreign corn) ; Italy 

 (grano Turco, grano d'India, frumentum sarracenicum, grano 

 Siciliano) ; Persia (gandumi-makkah, i.e. Mecca corn) ; Shan- 

 gaan of N. Transvaal (mabele, i.e. kaffir corn). 



18. The Word Mielie. — Mielie (often misspelled mealie) 

 is the usual South African name, but is not known in 



