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 Front Page arrow Titles (by Subject) arrow CCCXLII: A SCHEME FOR A NEW ALPHABET AND REFORMED MODE OF SPELLING WITH REMARKS AND EXAMPLES CONCERNING THE SAME, AND AN ENQUIRY INTO ITS USES, IN A CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN MISS STEVENSON AND DR. FRANKLIN, WRITTEN IN THE CHARACTERS OF THE ALPHABET 1 - The Works of Benjamin Franklin, Vol. V Letters and Misc. Writings 1768-1772

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CCCXLII: A SCHEME FOR A NEW ALPHABET AND REFORMED MODE OF SPELLING WITH REMARKS AND EXAMPLES CONCERNING THE SAME, AND AN ENQUIRY INTO ITS USES, IN A CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN MISS STEVENSON AND DR. FRANKLIN, WRITTEN IN THE CHARACTERS OF THE ALPHABET 1 - Benjamin Franklin, The Works of Benjamin Franklin, Vol. V Letters and Misc. Writings 1768-1772 [1904]

Edition used:

The Works of Benjamin Franklin, including the Private as well as the Official and Scientific Correspondence, together with the Unmutilated and Correct Version of the Autobiography, compiled and edited by John Bigelow (New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1904). The Federal Edition in 12 volumes. Vol. V (Letters and Misc. Writings 1768-1772).

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CCCXLII

A SCHEME FOR A NEW ALPHABET AND REFORMED MODE OF SPELLING

WITH REMARKS AND EXAMPLES CONCERNING THE SAME, AND AN ENQUIRY INTO ITS USES, IN A CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN MISS STEVENSON AND DR. FRANKLIN, WRITTEN IN THE CHARACTERS OF THE ALPHABET1

I hope I shall be forgiven for observing that even our present printed and written characters are fundamentally the same. The (Roman) printed one is certainly the neatest, simplest, and most legible of the two; but for the sake of ease and rapidity in our writing, it seems we there insert a number of joining or terminating strokes, substitute curves for angles, and give the letters a small inclination, to which rules even the letters a, g, r, and w, are easily reconcilable. This will cease to appear a remark of mere curiosity, if applied to the deciphering of foreign correspondence. But for this purpose I would add that the French in particular seem to treat the small up-stroke in the letters h, p, and c, as proceeding originally in an angle from the bottom of the down-stroke: they therefore begin it with a curve from the bottom, and keep it all the way distinct; hence forming their written r much like our written v. This last letter v, they again distinguish by a loop at the bottom; which loop they often place where we place an outward curve. The remarkable terminating s which they sometimes use, seems intended for our printed s begun from the bottom, but from corrupt writing inverted and put horizontally, instead of vertically. It is rather from bad writing than system that their n and m appear like u and w. I could go on to speak of the formation of written and printed capitals, but as this would be a work of mere curiosity, I leave it for the reader’s amusement.

TABLE OF THE REFORMED ALPHABET
SOUNDED, RESPECTIVELY, AS IN THE WORDS IN THE COLUMN BELOW
Characters
*The six new letters are marked with an asterisk (*), to distinguish them and show how few new sounds are proposed.
oOld.
*John, folly; awl, ball.
aMan, can.
eMen, lend, name, lane.
iDid, sin, deed, seen.
uTool, fool, rule.
*um, un; as in umbrage, unto, &c., and as in er.
hHunter, happy, high.
gGive, gather.
kKeep, kick.
*(sh) Ship, wish.
*(ng) ing, repeating, among.
nEnd.
rArt.
tTeeth.
dDeed.
lEll, tell.
sEssence.
z(ez) Wages.
*(th) Think.
*(dh) Thy.
fEffect.
vEver.
bBees.
pPeep.
mEmber.
TABLE OF THE REFORMED ALPHABET
Names of Letters as expressed in the reformed Sounds and Characters.MANNER OF PRONOUNCING THE SOUNDS
oThe first VOWEL naturally, and deepest sound, requires only to open the mouth, and breathe through it.
The next requiring the mouth opened a little more, or hollower.
aThe next, a little more.
eThe next requires the tongue to be a little more elevated.
iThe next still more.
uThe next requires the lips to be gathered up, leaving a small opening.
The next a very short vowel, the sound of which we should express in our present letters thus, uh, a short, and not very strong aspiration.
huhA stronger or more forcible aspiration.
giThe first CONSONANT; being formed by the root of the tongue; this is the present hard g.
kiA kindred sound; a little more acute; to be used instead of the hard c.
ishA new letter wanted in our language; our sh, separately taken, not being proper elements of the sound.
ingA new letter wanted for the same reason.—These are formed back in the mouth.
enFormed more forward in the mouth, the tip of the tongue to the roof of the mouth.
rThe same, the tip of the tongue a little loose or separate from the roof of the mouth, and vibrating.
tiThe tip of the tongue more forward, touching, and then leaving the roof.
diThe same, touching a little fuller.
elThe same; touching just about the gums of the upper teeth.
esThis sound is formed by the breath passing between the moist end of the tongue and the upper teeth.
ezThe same, a little denser and duller.
eThe tongue under, and a little behind, the upper teeth; touching them, but so as to let the breath pass between.
eThe same; a little fuller.
efFormed by the lower lip against the upper teeth.
evThe same; fuller and duller.
bThe lips full together, and opened as the air passes out.
piThe same; but a thinner sound.
emThe closing of the lips, while the e [here annexed] is sounding.
REMARKS ON THE ALPHABETICAL TABLE
o {It is endeavoured to give the alphabet a more natural order; beginning first with the simple sounds formed by the breath, with none or very little help of tongue, teeth, and lips, and produced chiefly in the windpipe.
to {
y huh {
g k {Then coming forward to those formed by the roof of the tongue next to the windpipe.
r n {Then to those formed more forward, by the fore part of the tongue against the roof of the mouth.
t d {
l {Then those formed still more forward, in the mouth, by the tip of the tongue applied first to the roots of the upper teeth.
s z {
th {Then to those formed by the tip of the tongue applied to the ends or edges of the upper teeth.
dh {
f {Then to those formed still more forward, by the under lip applied to the upper teeth.
v {
b {Then to those formed yet more forward, by the upper and under lip opening to let out the sounding breath.
p {
m {And lastly, ending with the shutting up of the mouth, or closing the lips, while any vowel is sounding.

In this alphabet c is omitted as unnecessary; k supplying its hard sound, and s the soft; k also supplies well the place of q, and, with an s added, the place of x; q and x are therefore omitted. The vowel u, being sounded as oo, makes the w unnecessary. The y, where used simply, is supplied by i and, where as a diphthong, by two vowels; that letter is therefore omitted as useless. The jod j is also omitted, its sound being supplied by the new letter , ish, which serves other purposes, assisting in the formation of other sounds; thus the with a d before it gives the sound of the jod j and soft g, as in “James, January, giant, gentle,” “deems, danueri, dyiant, dentel”; with a t before it, it gives the sound of ch, as in “cherry, chip,” “teri, tip”; and, with a z before it, the French sound of the jod j, as in “jamais,” “zame.”

Thus the g has no longer two different sounds, which occasioned confusion, but is, as every letter ought to be, confined to one. The same is to be observed in all the letters, vowels, and consonants, that wherever they are met with, or in whatever company, their sound is always the same. It is also intended, that there be no superfluous letters used in spelling; that is, no letter that is not sounded; and this alphabet, by six new letters, provides that there be no distinct sounds in the language without letters to express them. As to the difference between short and long vowels, it is naturally expressed by a single vowel where short, a double one where long; as for “mend,” write “mend,” but for “remain’d,” write “remeen’d;” for “did,” write “did,” but for “deed,” write “diid,” &c.

What in our common alphabet is supposed the third vowel, i, as we sound it, is as a diphthong, consisting of two of our vowels joined; viz. as sounded in “into,” and i in its true sound. Any one will be sensible of this, who sounds those two vowels i quick after each other; the sound begins and ends ii. The true sound of the i is that we now give to e in the words “deed, keep.” Though a single vowel appears to be put in the table for did and deed equally, yet in the remarks—above—the latter is made to require two i’s. Perhaps the same doubling of the vowel is meant for name and lane; for certainly name is not pronounced as nem, in the expression nem. con., corresponding to the sound in men. Some critics may probably think that these two sets of sounds are so distinct as to require different characters to express them: since in mem, pronounced affectedly for ma’am—madam—and corresponding in sound to men, the lips are kept close to the teeth, and perpendicular to each other; but in maim, corresponding in sound to name, the lips are placed poutingly and flat towards each other; a remark that might be applied with little variation to did and deed compared. As this is a subject I have never much examined, it becomes me only to add, that spelling may be considered as “an analysis of the operations of the organs of speech, where each separate letter has to represent a different movement”; and that among these organs of speech, we are to enumerate the epiglottis, and perhaps even the lungs themselves, not merely as furnishing air for sound, but as modifying the sound of that air both in inhaling and expelling it.

EXAMPLES

  • So huen sm endel bi divin kamand,
  • Ui rizi tempests eeks e gilti land,
  • (St az v leet or peel Britania past,)
  • Kalm and siriin hi drivs i fiuris blast;
  • And pliiz’d ’ lmitis rdrs tu prfrm,
  • Rids in i hurluind and direkts i strm,
  • So i piur limpid striim, huen ful ui steens
  • v ri trents and disendi reens,
  • Urks itself kliir; and az it rns rifins;
  • Til bi digriis, i floti mirr ins,
  • Riflekts iit flur at n its brdr groz,
  • And e nu hev’n in its feer bzm oz.

FROM MISS STEVENSON TO B. FRANKLIN

Kensitn,26 Septembr, 1768.

Diir Sr:—

i hav transkrib’d iur alfabet, &c., huit i ink mit bi v srvis tu oz, hu ui to akuir an akiuret pronnsien, if at kuld bi fiks’d; bt i si meni inknviiniensis, az uel az difikltis at uuld atend i brii iur letrs and rgrafi intu kmn ius. l ur etimlodiz uuld be lst, knsikuentli ui kuld nt asrteen i miini v meni urds; i distinkn, tu, bituiin urds v difrent miini and similar sund uuld bi iusles, nles ui livi riters pbli nu iidins. In rt i biliiv ui mst let piipil spel n in eer old ue, and (as ui find it iisiiest) du i seem urselves. With ease and sincerity I can, in the old way, subscribe myself,

Dear Sir,
Your faithful and affectionate servant,

Dr. Franklin.

M. S.

ANSWER TO MISS STEVENSON

Diir Madam:—

i bdekn iu meek to rektifii ur alfabet, “at it uil bi atended ui inknviniensiz and difikltiz,” iz e natural un; fr it luaz kyrz huen eni refrmen is propozed; huer in rilidn, gvernment, lz, and iven dun az lo az rods and huil karidiz. i tru kuestn en, is nt huer aer uil bi no difikltiz r inknviniensiz, bt huer i difikltiz mê nt bi srmunted; and huer i knviniensiz uil nt, n i huol, bi grêtr an i inknviniensiz. In is kes, i difikltiz er onli in i bigini v i praktis; huen ê er uns ovrkm, i advantedez er lasti.—To ir iu r mi, hu spel uel in i prezent mod, i imadin i difiklti v tendi at mod fr i nu, iz nt so grêt, bt at ui mit prfektli git ovr it in a uiik’s riti.—Az to oz hu du nt spel uel, if i tu difikltiz er kmpêrd, viz., at v titi em tru speli in i prezent mod, and at v titi em i nu alfabet and i nu speli akrdi to it, i am knfident at i latr uuld bi byi far i liist. ê natrali fl into i nu med alrehdi, az mt az i imperfekn v êr alfabet uil admit v; êr prezent bad speli iz onli bad, bikz kntreri to i prezent bad ruls; ndr i nu ruls it uuld bi gud.—i difiklti v lrni to spel uel in i old uê iz so grêt, at fiu atên it; auzandsand uzands riti n to old ed, uiut ever bii ebil to akuir it. ’Tiz, bisidz, e difiklti kntinuali inkriisi, az i sund graduali veriz mor and mor frm i speli; and to frenrs1it mêks i lrni to pronuns ur laued, az riten in ur buks, almost impsibil.

Nu az to “i inknviniensiz” iu menn.—i frst iz, at “l ur etimlodiz uuld bi lst, knsikuentli ui kuld nt asrteen i miini v meni urds.”—Etimlodiz er at prezent veri nsrteen; bt st az ê er, i old buks uuld stil prizrv em, and etimlodists uuld find em. Urds in i kors v tim, tend er miinis, az uel az er speli and pronnsien; and ui du nt luk to etimlodi fr er prezent miinis. If i uld kl e man e neev and e vilen, hi uuld hardli bi satisfid ui mi teli him, at un v i urds oridinali signifid onli e lad r srvant; and i r, an ndr pluman, r i inhabitant v e viled. It iz frm prezent iused onli, i miini v urds iz to bi ditrmined.

Iur seknd inknviniens iz, at “i distinkyn bituiin urds v difrent miini and similar sunduuld bi distrid.”—at distinkn iz lreadi distrid in pronunsi em; and ui rili n i sens alon v i sentens to asrteen, huit v i several urds, similar in sund, ui intend. If is iz sfient in i rapidtti v diskors, it uil bi mut mor so in riten sentenses, huit mê bi red lezurli, and atended to mor partikularli in kes v difiklti, an ui kan atend to e paft sentens, huil e spikr iz hrii s al ui nu uns.

Iur rd inknviniens iz, at “l i buks alredi riten uuld bi iusles.”—is inknviniens uuld onli km n graduali, in e kors v edes. Iu and i, and r nu livi ridrs, uuld hardli frget i ius v em. Piipil uuld lo lrn to riid i old riti, o ê praktist i nu.—And i inknviniens iz nt greter an huat hes aktuali hapend in e similar kes, in Iteli. Frmerli its inhabitants l spok and rot Latin; az i laued tendd, i speli flo’d it. It iz tru at, at prezent, e miir nlern’d Italien kant riid i Latin buks; o ê er stil red and ndrstud bi meni. Bt, if i speli had nevr bin tended, hi uuld nu hev fund it mt mor difiklt to riid and rit hiz on lauad; fr riten urds uuld heve had no rilên to sunds, ê uuld onli hev stud fr is; so at if hi uuld ekspres in riti i idia hi hez huen hi sunds i urd Vescovo, hi mst iuz i letterz Episcopus.—In rt, huatever i difikltiz and inknviniensiz nu er, ê uil bi mor iizili srmunted nu, an hiraftr; and sm tim r r, it mst bi dn; r ur riti uil bikm i sêm ui i Tiniiz,1az to i difikltiv lrni and iuzing it. And it uuld alredi hev bin st, if ui had kntinud i Saksn speli and riti, iuzed bi our forfaers.

i am, mi diir frind, iurs afeknetli,

B. Franklin.

Lndn,
Kreven-striit,Sept. 28, 1768.

[1 ]For the nature and intention of this alphabet, I must refer to what Dr. Franklin has himself said upon the subject, in answer to Miss Stevenson’s objections; as the reader may understand the whole in an hour or two. It is necessary to add, that the new letters used in the course of printing this paper, are exactly copied from the manuscript in my possession; there being no provision for a distinction in the character as written or printed. I have no other way, therefore, of marking the scored parts of the manuscript (answering to italics) than by placing such passages between inverted commas. As to capitals, I should have provided for them by means of larger types, but the form of some of them would have made them too large for the page. However, were the author’s general system ever adopted, nothing would be easier than to remedy this particular.—B. V.

[1 ]Dr. Franklin used to lay some little stress on this circumstance, when he occasionally spoke on the subject. “A dictionary, formed on this model, would have been serviceable to him, he said, even as an American”; because, from the want of public examples of pronunciation in his own country, it was often difficult to learn the proper sound of certain words, which occurred very frequently in our English writings, and which of course every American very well understood as to their meaning. I think I have seen a French grammar which endeavored to represent the French pronunciation by a resolution of it into English letters, but for want of proper characters it seemed an embarrassed business. Is not the bad spelling observed in French manuscripts owing in some degree to the great variance between their orthography and pronunciation?—B. V.

[1 ]Chinese.