382 The Future of the English Language. [July, 



system of shorthand. Unlike all other stenographies, 

 Phonography is based upon a philosophical analysis of the 

 sounds in the English language, and this analysis has been 

 made the basis of a new Phonetic English Alphabet, in 

 which each sound is indicated by one letter, and each letter 

 is attached to one sound only. In the construction of this 

 alphabet, Mr. Isaac Pitman and Mr. A. J. Ellis, F.R.S. — a 

 man of profound scholarship — were joint-workers. 



Since 1843 various modifications have been made in this 

 alphabet, sometimes of doubtful expediency, but always with 

 the single objecl in view of making it as perfect as possible. 



The sanguine expectations of its promoters have not been 

 realised. Mr. Ellis, indeed, appears to have given up all hope 

 of seeing a practical phonetic alphabet adopted, and now pro- 

 poses a system of digraphs in place of fresh letters, for use 

 concurrently with the old system. This system is much more 

 complicated and cumbersome than the Phonetic alphabet, 

 though infinitely preferable to the present want of system. 



Mr. Ellis's Glossic is a new concurrent system of spelling, 

 intended to remedy the defects, without interfering with the 

 use, of existing English orthography. 



Key to English Glossic. 

 Read the large capital letters always in the senses they 

 have in the following words, which are all in the usual 

 spelling except the three underlined, meant for foot, then, 

 rouge. 



bEEt bAIt bAA cAUl cOAl cOOl 

 knIt nEt gnAt nOt nUt fUOt 



HEIGHT fOIl fOUl fEUd " 



Yea Way WHey Hay 



Pea Bee Toe Doe CHest Jest Keep Gape 

 Fie Vie THin DHen Seal Zeal ruSH rquZHe 

 eaR R'ing eaRR'ing Lay May Nay siN(j 



R is vocal when no vowel follows, and Mark emphasis by (•) before a word. 



modifies the preceding vowel, form- Pronounce el, em, en, er, ej, a, ob- 



ing diphthongs, as in pEER, pAIR, scurely, after the stress syllable. 



bOAR, bOOR, hERb. When three or more letters come to- 

 Use R for R', and RR for RR', when gether of which the two first may 



a vowel follows, except in elemen- form a digraph, read them as such. 



tary books, where r' is retained. Letters retain their usual names, and 

 Separate th, dh, sh, zh, ng by a alphabetical arrangement. 



hyphen (-) when necessary. Words in customary or NOMIC spel- 

 Read a stress on the first syllable ling occurring among GLOSSIC, 



when not otherwise diredted. and conversely, should be underlined 



Mark stress by (•) after a long vowel with a wavy line-~~— , and printed 



or ei, oi, ou, eu, and after the first with spaist leterz, or else in a 



consonant following a short vowel. different type. 



