PURITY OF SPEECH

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 18955, 4 March 1936, Page 15

PURITY OF SPEECH

,THE OXFORD ACCENT ',AFFECTED SPEAKING A VISITOR'S COMMENT "I suppose if I called New Zealand a pocket edition of the collected scenic attractions of the world I would be displeasing someone because there is always a large number of people who like to think their country » the original first edition," was Mrs. M. A.. Seward's method of expressing her opinion of New Zealand on Saturday evening when, accompanied by her husband, she arrived at Auckland by the Akaroa from London. Both Mr, and Mrs. Seward have visited New Zealand on'two previous occasions for the fishing season. On this voyage, however, they are making only a brief stay in the course of a round trip cruise by the Akaroa.

Young, with golden-blonde hair, dartbrown eyes, and a tasteful knowledge of dress, Mrs. Seward, who has travelled in Europe and the United States, is a clever and amusing conversationalist. Although hunting and riding form her favourite "exercise, she is also what she terms a "happy" tennis player and golfer. N She is also interested in modern literature and is a regular patron cf the theatre. She considers Beverley Nicholls a brilliant writer with a youthful cynicism used unsuccessfully to hide very high ideals. "PARODY OF ENGLISH"

Tolerant on many matters, Mrs. Seward possesses, however, very definite views upon the subject of speech. Tin human voice was, both in its speaking and singing forms, a very beautifiu instrument, she said. Unfortunately, comparatively few people were fully awart 1 of this, or if they were aware of it, Lwere not prepared to do anything about it. English, avS spoken by the English. was not perfect, Mrs. Seward said. The so-called "Oxford accent" was merely a parody of true English, although not nearly such a poor parody as tin imitated "Oxford accent." Everyone had heard of the English - "huntin'. fishin' and shootin'." it was a fact, however, and not fiction. The Americans were going to England to learn English, but first of all. she thought, the English should attend to their own speech before attempting to teach the Americans. .Grammar was practically ignored in many directions, and cheap along and bad pronunciation were noticeably affecting the English lan guage. : No voice, however naturally melodious it might be,, could make such travesties as "nace," "deeah" ami "main" sound at all beautiful. As * r hjce," "dear" and "mine" the wordshad some expression and meaning. The tragedy was that the perversion of worn pronunciation was becoming increasingly widespread, particularly among the jounger people, and it was upon them that the speech 'of coming generationsdepended. Many young people considered their affected manner of speak ing a sign of good breeding and cduca tion. In her opinion such speech and pronunciation betrayed a lack of educa tion. To-day all good schools taught (i phonetic pronunciation of English, aiei no affectation was needed to add to the beauty of pure vowel sounds spoken in a well-modulated voice. The perversion of the word "nine" to "nane" -or "noine" was both unnecessary arid ugly. NEW ZEALANDERS' VOICES In- Mrs. Seward's opinion, New Zealaiiders possessed better natural voices for the speaking of good, pure English than any other English-speaking people. They, however, were very much inclined to imitate as virtues the very faults that ruined the speech of the English people. She had once heard a New Zealand girl say "up and about," and it was only after several moments' serious consideration that she had realised that the words had not been "up in a bath." "The English language is quite mongrel enough, as everyone knows, without making it any worse," Mrs. Seward said. She added that the wireless. with well-chosen announcers, possessed * splendid opportunity for raising the standard of speech. New Zealanders, too, by virtue of their purer voices, possessed the opportunity of becoming the most well-spoken of English-speak-ing people. She thought, however, thai thev were not treating their speech ns seriously as they might, and she had once heard a Maori schoolgirl speak

with an infinitely better pronunciation than any white. New Zealand girl with whom she had come into contact. Colloquial speech could be correct without becoming pedantic. On the other hand, it could be colloquial without becoming mia-pronounced or "slang."