ENGLISH OR JARGON?

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22444, 13 June 1936, Page 17

ENGLISH OR JARGON?

j sir,—By all means let us maintain the dignity of our mother tongue. That dignity does not suffer when we admit . into our language new words and terms i which are seemly. Inasmuch as language ! is undoubtedly the supreme instrument of culture, the test of scemliness is good taste. Ihe man who murders his mother tongue with such as "eats" (for food), "1 wanta" and "Oh yeah," , out-costers Gilbert's coster jumping on , his mother. On the other hand, such as • bunkum (Buncombe) and fire (to expel) cannot offend. Eor fire, to expel, see Shakespeare's 144 th Sonnet?. Alluding to dignity of language, allow me to draw attention to the jargon of far too many of our public notices, advertisements and trading terms. It seems to nio that a municipal censorship of public announcements cries to be born. Municipal? Do not our municipal tramcars tell us "7 standing if full inside"? Apparently, those seven passengers must bo full inside, not outside, before they are allowed to stand Has this notice any allusion to six o'clock closing? 'Bus notices read, "Passengers are requested not to board the 'bus while in motion." Hence, passengers must remain motionless, stationary, when they climb tho steps I "Ladie's Room" is a gem. Chaucer's ladie? Why do we suffer freakish spelling in modern advertisements? Socks become sox, eucalyptus is a Kold Kure and apples are sun-kist. Are wo to agree with the sailor's inference, "If b-I-o-x don't spell blocks what do it spell?" Why do we suffer freakish word coinage and kindred horrors? Carpets may bo "vacuuniized"; woollen clothing is a "preventative" against colds. (Prevent us, O Lord, in all our doings!) Ladies' hats are "very unique"; tho wonder is that they aro not "extremely universal." If wo now tolerate Beautician. Removalist. Condimentor and most, "deadly" of all, Mortician, why not Milkician, Sausagist, Peppermintor and Garbagician? Shoddy journalism adds its quota. Alright and nearby are rearing their unsightly heads. Invite i and allure, used as substantives, have come to insult us—"An invite was sent . . ." "An actress whose allure . . ." Deputationizo is making headway Finalized and ovationed are creeping in. By the way, when an ovation is marred by eggs, is tho victim ovumized? Possibly we shall yet see a wcll-rccep-tionized and wcll-orationed Savagated Cabinetti'i. Daily we see and hear hundreds of insults to our language, insults which form part of the "education" of our observant young folk. Into what chaotic jiimblo tho future will convulse our terminology one trembles to predict. Our mother tongue is a glorious heritage. With tho possible exception of Attic Greek, it is the most expressive means known fo mankind of conveying thought from brain to brain. Shall we dim its glory by passing on to our young folk a shoddy makeshift, a jargon, or shall wo maintain its lustre by speaking and writing in a manner worthy of our nation's history, worthy of our nation's tongue, "the tongue that Shakespeare spake"? H. T. Gibson.