THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10295, 26 July 1911, Page 4

THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE.

The, recent Masterton Competitions, and the valuable criticisms of the judge, bring prominently to notice the vast change in. the pronunciation of the English language since the time of Shakespeare. In many wellknown passages in the works of the great dramatist) the very rhythm of the line imperatively demands a strange and unaccustomed acoentuatifon of certain, words. What we are not quite 'so/apt to realise is that in the present day similar changes are taking place. No doubt it requires a considerable length of time before a marked alteration of the .sort becomes generally or universally adopted in conversation. One strong tendency may be noted, and. that is, to throw the accent back as far as possible in words of more than one syllable, -feaplo used to accent the second syllable of such wards as I '-'contents," "details," "revenue," "contemplate," now the accentuation in these and many other such ■words' is placed upon the initial syllable. Why there should be these perpetual transitions is difficult to answer, but the tendency in this direction has manifested, itself in the last quarter of a century. Why such words as "inquiry," "expiry," 'and "interesting" should now bo aooented on the first syllable might be worth while investigating.