GOOD HONEST SPEECH

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 79, 30 September 1944, Page 10

GOOD HONEST SPEECH

DEFENCE OF COMMON USAGE

"What we want is good honest speech so that we can talk right out at each other—speech that might be understood by all of us and translated into universal good neighbourliness," said Mrs, Sydney Greenbie, 'when addressing1 women members of the Eng-lish-speaking Union yesterday afternoon. Mrs. Greenbie was speaking of the character and quality of the English ' language,- and of the difficulties that people who speak the same words have in understanding one another. "People who speak the same words don't always speak the same language," said Mrs, Greenbie. "Behind every word is a whole mental background. Each one of us who hears a word translates it into an inner picture and the differences in these inner pictures often lead to serious misunderstanding." As an example she quoted the word "midwife" which m this country meant a person qualified to assist at fchild-birth, but- in America meant an untrained woman whose ministrations at child-birth were deplored by the authorities.

MISUSE OF ENGLISH.

A lot had been said lately about the misuse of the English language in American broadcast programmes and in the films, the complaint generally being that the language was being vulgarised, but there was no such thing as an original, undefiled English language, such as the German and French languages.. Even old English,

which the majority of people these days found unreadable, had been evolved in order, that the-people of England and their invaders might understand one another. English was a flexible language and as such was*unmatched as a medium of expression Mrs. Greenbie referred to the criticism by British people1 of the different way in which so many English words were pronounced by Aniericans and she gently reminded her listeners of the numerous variations of pronunciation of the English language to be found within the British Islesmentioning the Irish brogue the Cockney accent, etc. In conclusion, Mrs. Greenbie spoke of the great pyschological effect of not being afraid of any language and of using it as one's tool; not trying «o speak as the great masters speak and not trying to be too genteel; for in that way people were inclined to get too "prissy prissy" and to draw apart from their fellow-men. Another American was a guest of the union for the afternoon, Mrs. Rex Inder, who has recently arrived from Texas to join her husband, a New Zea- - land engineer. Both were welcomed' by Mrs. E. D. Good, .chairman 'of the women's executive, and presented with flowers. Mrs. Veitch contributed to the entertainment with elocutionary items. •-'•■•. Mrs. J. Aroha East, centre commandant of the Auckland branch of the New Zealand .led Cross Society, is visiting Wellington.

I'riin.ed and t'ulillslied for BLUNUKLL BKOS LTD by Henry Percy Fabian Blundell Heretfiiin.ua, Ernest Albert Blundell, Cccii Road. Wadesto'wn, and Leonard Coker Blundell. 25 Rawhiti Terrace, Kelburn at the Registered Offlne of the Company' Saturday, September 30, 1944.