lYENOd TEAl^SCRIPT 



JSUNKSDAS. MAY C, 18S8. 



TUM AR'BVTVS qUESTlON. 



'1 0 ilie Editor of the Tratucrtpt ; As some 

 people ate telling me that Worcester says 

 arbu'tus, J woiild like a little space for a ro- 

 joiuder. Wcrceator does aoi'ent the second 

 ejllablc, but in doing so be convicts bimselt 

 ©lisnomnce, v.l.icli is enljwl.li. in one who 

 a8f,umB.s to batl. In liis dictionary bo dis- 

 tinguishes foreign word.i by pnttinK them in 

 italics, and be gives "arbiit.ns" thus, not reo- 

 ogfliziiiy it BS Eusilisb M all. But iu Latin 

 there can be no question whatever ; the poeta 

 ol the Augustan aRe, to speak of no others, 

 show plainly that the accent is on the Urst 

 syllable. In Europe the pronimoiation has 

 ccine down right by uubroken tradition, 

 ■while in this country there was but little oc- 

 casion to use the word for more than two 

 hjindrcd yeiirs after the arrival on our coast 

 of that ntbpr "MHyllowcr" of great renown. 

 It is oiilj iui' twenty-life years or 80 that its 

 liltle nainesalse by the name of "arbutua" 

 has heen one of fashion's favorites, and we 

 New Englanuers, ignorant of the right way 

 of (ironouucint; the word, have hit upon the 

 wrong one. But, to a critical ear, what is 

 more dci'. slablo than a false accent? What 

 Houncis more ignorant? And so I hope lor 

 yeur powerful aid on(;o more m trying to cor- 

 rect so mortifying an error. O. 



