Page:A plea for phonotypy and phonography - or, speech-printing and speech-writing (IA pleaforphonotypy00elliiala).pdf/20

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The results of these Tables are some of the most extraordinary in literature. The first table shows the elements of the English language, being 36 in number (considering æ as distinct from ɛ), to which, for the sake of convenience in printing, we have added 7 others, properly compounds, namely, į, ɑi, ỏ, ɤ, ꝡ, ꞔ, j; making a total of 43, or rather 42 letters and one combination—ɑi, which are all that are necessary for the correct printing of every sound in the English language. The table then shows that these 43 phonetic characters have no less than 379 heterotypic equivalents, being on an average $8{\tfrac {8}{10}}$ for each letter. When we recollect that the sounds only strike the ear, and that these sounds are readily discriminated into the 43 different simple and compound elements of the phonotypic alphabet, it is appalling to think that we are left to choose out of very nearly 9 different heterotypic modes of noting any one of these sounds! Thus, if a word contain only 6 elements, as "sizurz," we may expect to have $(8{\tfrac {8}{10}})^{6}$, or 464,404 different ways of spelling this simple word; it so happens, however, that the sounds in the word we have chosen, admit of being spelt in more than the average number of ways each; thus the table gives s=9, i=18, z=9, u=19, r=7, z=9, and the number of possible modes of spelling is, therefore, 9×18×9×19×7×9 = 1,745,226!! Of these, of course, only one is "RIGHT," that is CUSTOMARY, namely, the somewhat singular and complex form—"scissors." In point of fact, the real number would not be quite so large as that just mentioned, because there are certain recondite laws, such as that c should not represent s when it occurs after a, o, u, &c., which will interfere; the absolutely feasible number, however, is very great^[1] Some of these combinations are amusingly extravagant, as schiesourrhce (symbol characters)^[2] justified by schism, sieve, as, honour, myrrh, sacrifice.

We subjoin a few heterotypic enormities which might be committed and justified by those learned in the quips and cranks of our "just method of spelling words." The ignorant would naturally be more phonetic in his vagaries.

But the subject is too serious to jest over. It is really a lamentable fact, which must be a subject of the greatest regret to every one who wishes for the advancement of general enlightenment and learning in this country. The average above given does not place the amount of evil in the true light. There is not one single sound in our language which is on all occasions represented by one uniform letter or combination of letters. Of the 14 vowel sounds, 4 only, namely, a, ɑ, o, ꞷ, are represented

1. In the Phonographic Correspondent for 1845, page 11, in which only a few of the most common representatives of the letters are taken, the number of modes of spelling are computed at 34,560.
2. Note of laughter.