On the whole, I should venture to say that so uncouth a slip as mythe, when set in our soil, was unlikely to thrive. Still myth is objectionable, though we at Cambridge might quote gyp. However I may seem to be a breaker of my own laws, I suggest, if we must have an English form of the word, that we should write and pronounce myth. Several words ending in th have the preceding vowel lengthened, e.g. both, sloth, ruth, truth (though with the inconsistency attributed to us, one, by the way, generally of orthography rather than pronunciation, we shorten the diphthong in breath, death). Compare also the sound of the endings ild and ind.
I have already troubled you with a very long Note; but, before I close, allow me to add that in what I have advanced I have had in view only our modern mode of spelling, without binding
myself to an opinion of its inferiority or superiority to that of our forefathers. I beg also to protest against Mr. Keightley's wish to banish mythical from our vocabulary. It may be hybrid, but equally so are critical, grammatical, musical, physical, poetical, with a long string of et ceteras.
Charles Thiriold.
Footnote 5:[(return)]
Except x (=cs). Compare flax, wax, ox.
From serv-us (after the French) we form serf.
Rebus, overplus, and surplus may, if not satisfied, take an omnibus, bring their action at the Nisi Prius, and meet there with a nonplus.