Fotch for fetch is very common, in several states, but not among the better classes of people. Cotched for caught is more frequent, and equally barbarous.
Skroud and skrouge for croud, are sometimes heard among people that should be ashamed of the least vulgarism.
Mought for might is heard in most of the states, but not frequently except in a few towns.[M]
Holpe for help I have rarely heard except in Virginia. Tote is local in Virginia and its neighborhood. In meaning it is nearly equivalent to carry. I have taken great pains to discover the etymology of the local terms used in the several states; but this word has yet eluded my diligence.[51]
Chore, a corruption of char, is an English word, still used in many parts of England, as a char-man, a char-woman, but in America, it is perhaps confined to New England. It signifies small domestic jobs of work, and its place cannot be supplied by any other single word in the language.
These local words, and others of less note, are gradually growing into disuse, and will probably be lost: Except such as are necessary in some particular occupation.
The pronunciation of w for v is a prevailing practice in England and America: It is particularly prevalent in Boston and Philadelphia.[52] Many people say weal, wessel, for veal, vessel.
These letters are easily mistaken for each other, and the name of the letter w now used, is a proof that the letter v was formerly called u or oo. The letter in the Roman language had the sound we now give w in will. Via and vinum, pronounced wia, winum, have suffered but a small change of pronunciation in our way, wine. In old English books, down to Shakespear, v was written for the short u, as vp, vnder; for up, under. On the other hand, u was written where we now write v, as uery, euery, for very, every. It seems therefore, that v had formerly the sound of w or oo; and that instead of corrupting the language, the Cockneys in London, and their imitators in America, who say weal, wery, have retained the primitive pronunciation. In confirmation of this opinion, it may be observed that the Danes, who speak a dialect of the Saxon, have no w in their language, but where we write w, they write v, and where we write wh, they invariably write hv; as vind, wind; vej, way; vader, wade; hvad, what; hvide, white; hvi, why. The Germans, whose language is another branch of the same stock, invariably pronounce w as we do v; wall, vall; wir, vir, we; wollen, vollen, will; and v they pronounce as we do f; as vergessen, fergessen, which is the same as the English forget.
The retaining the old sound of v is a proof of the force of custom; but since the nation in general have annexed to it a precise sound, as well as to w, every person should resign his peculiarities for the sake of uniformity.
But there are some points in pronunciation, in which the best informed people differ, both in opinion and practice.