A Book About Words

by G. F. Graham

John Kemble had several peculiarities of pronunciation. He is known to have always said ‘bird’ for ‘beard,’ ‘ferse’ for ‘fierce,’ and my head ‘aitches’ (for ‘aches’). He persisted, too, in pronouncing ‘Cato’ with the a broad, as if written ‘Cāāto.’ Of this peculiarity an amusing anecdote is related. ‘One evening, at the Dublin Theatre, after the performance of Addison’s tragedy, the manager appeared on the stage, and made the following statement:—“Ladies and gentlemen, to-morrow evening, with your permission, the tragedy of Cato will be repeated, the part of ‘Cāāto’ by Mr. Kemble.”’

Another story is told of the same eminent actor, who, when George III. said to him: ‘Mr. Kemble, will you “obleege” me with a pinch of your snuff?’ replied: ‘With pleasure, your Majesty; but it would become your royal lips much better to say “oblīge.”’

Some of the actor Quin’s pronunciations would be now considered very singular. He always pronounced the word ‘face’ as if written ‘fāāce,’ and said ‘trōpically’ for ‘trŏpically.’ Also, in a certain classical drama, addressing the Roman guard, he desired them to lower their ‘faces’ (meaning their ‘fasces’).

But, whatever may be the recognised standard of pronunciation, there always will be a refined and a vulgar mode of speech—one adopted by the cultivated and well-informed, and the other used by the rude and illiterate. It must be understood that there are only two ways in which our pronunciation may be at fault. 1. The accent may be placed on the wrong syllable; or, 2. a wrong sound may be given to the vowels. Under the first head may be placed such faults as the following:—Some will say ‘fánatic’ instead of ‘fanátic,’ and perhaps as often ‘lunátic’ for ‘lúnatic.’ Again, ‘mischíevous’ is wrong, both in accent and tone; for the accent should here be on the first syllable, and the sound of the second should be close—míschĭevous. We also not unfrequently hear people call the word ‘extánt,’ instead of ‘éxtant;’ but, as the accent is always on the first in words of a like formation—such as ‘cónstant,’ ‘dístant,’ ‘ínstant,’ &c.—there is no good reason why ‘éxtant’ should be made an exception. Another word in which the accent is often misplaced is ‘réspĭted.’ Many will say ‘respíted,’ which is decidedly against good usage.

In some words the accent still seems to be unsettled. Perhaps we hear the word ‘óbdurate’ as often with the accent on the second as on the first syllable. Many scholars pronounce the word ‘obdūrate,’ probably because the u is long in the Latin ‘dūrus;’ but this must also follow the accent of similar forms. We always say ‘áccŭrate,’ ‘índŭrate,’ ‘áugŭrate,’ ‘sátŭrate,’ &c.; and therefore, by analogy, it should be óbdŭrate.’

By many the accent is placed on the second syllable of the word ‘applicable;’ but the general custom is to lay it on the first, and the best practice is to say ‘ápplicable,’ and not ‘applícable.’

Another case of wrong tone may be heard in the pronunciation of the word ‘ínfĭnĭte.’ We still not unfrequently hear in the pulpit, ‘infinīte goodness,’ &c. In dissyllables ‘īte’ final is sometimes pronounced long; as in ‘polīte,’ ‘finīte,’ ‘recīte,’ &c.; but in words of more than two syllables the final ‘ite’ is, with few exceptions, pronounced short. We always (properly) say ‘definĭte,’ ‘exquisĭte,’ ‘opposĭte,’ ‘favourĭte,’ &c.

Many have special difficulties in the pronunciation of certain consonants. The correct sound of r is a medium between the strong rough R of the Irish, and the feeble indistinct tone given it by the London cockney. The Irishman will tell you that he is very ‘war(u)m’ after his ‘wor(u)k.’ But in London, one often hears, instead of ‘garden,’ ‘gauden,’ for ‘forth’ ‘fauth,’ and for ‘card’ ‘caud,’ &c.

Many Englishmen have a difficulty in pronouncing the rough r, substituting for it the sound of w. These say ‘woom’ for ‘room,’ ‘pwoduct’ for ‘product,’ ‘wagged’ for ‘ragged,’ &c. This habit, unless checked early, is likely to become incurable.

Others again contract a vicious habit of pronouncing the r far back in the throat, instead of forming it by vibrating the tip of the tongue. This is what the French call ‘parler gras.’