WHY CENTENNIAL?

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 89, 17 April 1939, Page 9

WHY CENTENNIAL?

GOVERNMENT'S CHOICE.

"VERY EUPHONIOUS WORD."

Although good reasons have been given for the Government's selection of "centennial" as a noun in preference to the variously pronounced word "centenary," many folk, including some in official positions, cling to ''centenary," states the "New Zealand Centennial News."

At a conference in Wellington in March, 1936, Mr. J. W. Heenan, Undersecretary of Internal Affairs, explained why the Minister had approved a recommendation of the National Centennial Committee for the Government's adoption of the word "Centennial."

"It was agreed," said Mr. Heenan, "that to save constant reference to 'centeenary' (with the stress on the 'teen'), 'centenary' (with the stress on 'ten'), and 'centenary' (with the stress on the 'cent'), we should adopt a word which called for only one pronouneiation. So it was agreed to use a perfectly good word, the educational use of which as a noun as well as an adjective was settled. 'Centennial , is a very euphonious word, one that is established in other countries, and one that for all general purposes could be usefully adopted, ,.