This is the origin of the New England keow, keoward; and of the English keube, ackeuse, keind and geuide.
There is just the same propriety in one practice as the other, and both are equally harmonious.
For similar reasons, the labials, m and p, are followed by e: In New England, we hear it in meow, peower, and in Great Britain, in meute, peure. With this difference however, that in New England, this pronunciation is generally confined to the more illiterate part of the people, and in Great Britain it prevails among those of the first rank. But after r we never hear the sound of e: It has been before observed, that the most awkward countryman in New England pronounces round, ground, brown, as correctly as men of the first education; and our fashionable speakers pronounce u after r like oo. The reason is the same in both cases: In pronouncing r the mouth is necessarily opened (or rather the glottis) to a position for articulating a broad full sound. So that the vulgar singularities in this respect, and the polite refinements of speaking, both proceed from the same cause; both proceed from an accidental or careless narrow way of articulating certain combinations of letters; both are corruptions of pure English; equally disagreeable and indefensible. Both may be easily corrected by taking more pains to open the teeth, and form full bold sounds.
2. But another inconsistency in the modern practice, is the introducing an e[72] before the second sound of u as in tun; or rather changing the preceding consonant; for in nature, rapture, and hundreds of other words, t is changed into tsh; and yet no person pretends that u, in these words, has a dipthongal sound. On the other hand, Sheridan and his copier, Scott, have in these and similar words marked u for its short sound, which is universally acknowleged to be simple. I believe no person ever pretended, that this sound of u contains the sound of e or y; why then should we be directed to pronounce nature, natyur? Or what is equally absurd, natshur? On what principle is the t changed into a compound consonant? If there is any thing in this sound of u to warrant this change, does it not extend to all words where this sound occurs? Why do not our standard writers direct us to say tshun for tun, and tshumble for tumble? I can conceive no reason which will warrant the pronunciation in one case, that will not apply with equal force in the other. And I challenge the advocates of the practice, to produce a reason for pronouncing natshur, raptshur, captshur, which will not extend to authorize, not only tshun, tshurn, for tun, turn, but also fatshal for fatal, and immortshal for immortal.[73] Nay, the latter pronunciation is actually heard among some very respectable imitators of fashion; and is frequent among the illiterate, in those states where the tshu's are most fashionable. How can it be otherwise? People are led by imitation; and when those in high life embrace a singularity, the multitude, who are unacquainted with its principles or extent, will attempt to imitate the novelty, and probably carry it much farther than was ever intended.
When a man of little education hears a respectable gentleman change t into tsh in nature, he will naturally be led to change the same letter, not only in that word, but wherever it occurs. This is already done in a multitude of instances, and the practice if continued and extended, might eventually change t, in all cases, into tsh.
I am sensible that some writers of novels and plays have ridiculed the common pronunciation of creatur and nutur, by introducing these and similar words into low characters, spelling them creater, nater: And the supporters of the court pronunciation allege, that in the vulgar practice of speaking, the letter e is sounded and not u: So extremely ignorant are they of the nature of sounds and the true powers of the English letters. The fact is, we are so far from pronouncing e in the common pronunciation of natur, creatur, &c. that e is always sounded like short u, in the unaccented syllables of over, sober, banter, and other similar words. Nay, most of the vowels, in such syllables, sound like i or u short.[74] Liar, elder, factor, are pronounced liur, eldur, factur, and this is the true sound of u in creatur, nature, rapture, legislature, &c.
I would just observe further, that this pretended dipthong iu was formerly expressed by ew and eu, or perhaps by eo, and was considered as different from the sound of u. In modern times, we have, in many words, blended the sound of u with that of ew, or rather use them promiscuously. It is indifferent, as to the pronunciation, whether we write fuel or fewel. And yet in this word, as also in new, brew, &c. we do not hear the sound of e, except among the Virginians, who affect to pronounce it distinctly, ne-ew, ne-oo, fe-oo. This affectation is not of modern date, for Wallis mentions it in his time and reprobates it. "Eu, ew, eau, sonanter per e clarum et w; ut in neuter, few, beauty. Quidem tamen accutius efferunt, acsi scriberentur niew ter, fiew, bieuty. At prior pronunciatio rectior est."——Gram. Ling. Ang.
Here this author allows these combinations to have the sound of yu or iu; but disapproves of that refinement which some affect, in giving the e or i short its distinct sound.
The true sound of the English u, is neither ew, with the distinct sounds of e and oo; nor is it oo; but it is that sound which every unlettered person utters in pronouncing solitude, rude, threw, and which cannot easily be mistaken. So difficult is it to avoid the true sound of u, that I have never found a man, even among the ardent admirers of the stage pronunciation, who does not retain the vulgar sound, in more than half the words of this class which he uses. There is such a propensity in men to be regular in the construction and use of language, that they are often obliged, by the customs of the age, to struggle against their inclination, in order to be wrong, and still find it impossible to be uniform in their errors.