Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 8.djvu/52

 40 NOTES AND QUERIES. [12 s. vm. JAN. s, 1921. " bring forward among others a new and clinching example where an -ing- form is equated with a possessive. Birch has a seventh-century charter dealing with a grant of land at Wieghelmestun, and this name appears in an endorsement of the -tenth or early eleventh century as nunc wigel- mignctun [sic]. The Alphabet of names is preceded by a full "bibliography and followed by a useful alphabet of the elements used as the second part of place- names ; one of personal names used as the first part ; a scheme of phonology and an appendix on change of suffixes. The Story of ' Our Mutual Friend.' Transcribed into Phonetic Notation from the Work of Charles Dickens. By C. M. Eice. (Cambridge, Heffer, 5s. net.) IN his ' Notes on Pronunciation ' the transcriber tells us that "the pronunciation employed is generally that of an educated Southern English- man." However, according to the notation employed, the word " all " is to be pronounced -" or j an d that at once raises difficulties, for -we are prepared to deny that the " educated Southern Englishman " does so pronounce " all." Again in the phrase " all that is to be told " the same symbol represents the vowel sounds in " that " and " to." Only a very poor and slovenly speech would make them so ; and the same may be said about a speech which renders " er " at "the end of a word by exactly the same sound as the vowel in " the." The principle upon which this phonetic nota- tion works seems to be that of noting any vowel as sounded at its weakest. The slight nuance of its true quality which (1) is usually to be heard in cultivated speech even when rapid, and (2) becomes quite perceptible in slow or emphatic speech, is ignored, and if this notation ever prevailed would be lost. Thus the word " consolation " has the neutral vowel symbol for the second " o " : but who can pronounce the word with even a slight retarding and keep that vowel neutral ? The passage in which it occurs is an utterance of Mortimer's at the Veneering's dinner-party (he is speaking " languidly," too) and it may perhaps be argued that the spelling is conversational. But spelling of such over-refinement drives one into the opposite direction, making one wish that, if vowels are no longer etymological, they might be eliminated from spelling as far as possible. At any rate, if this phonetic method is seriously to Tt>e tried it ougnt to be standardized for ordinary writing by the pronunciation of approved and carefully chosen speakers. It would then, we believe, be found best always to note the charac- teristic sound of a vowel even when, in rapid speech, it tends to be slurred and nearly lost as in the example above. The sound can be weakened to suit the fashion ; but if written as merely neutral cannot so easily recover its true quality. We confess ourselves inclined to doubt the value of such transcripts as this, and even to think them undesirable. WE are informed by the Oxford University Press that the Early English Text Society has appointed Mr. Humphrey Milford to be the sole publisher for the Society as from the beginning of this year. CECIL DEEDES. BY the death of Prebendary Cecil Deedes wo have lost one of our most valued correspondents. Those whose studies have led them to any occupa- tion with mediaeval MSS. will need no indication of the greatness of the loss, for Prebendary Deedes was widely known as an authority in that field. Librarian for some time of Chichester Cathedral, he edited for the Sussex Eecord Society the Registers of Bishop Praty and Bishop Bede, and for the Canterbury and York Society the Muni- ments of the Bishopric of Winchester and the Register of John de Pontissara, besides much other work of a kindred character. It is no doubt as a scholar and ecclesiastical historian that his name will be best remembered, both by readers of ' N. & Q.' who owe him much curious infor- mation and by the general public. But his activities were by no means limited to scholar- ship. He had worked as a priest at Oxford (curate of SS. Philip and James and Chaplain* of Christ Church ; vicar of St. Mary Magdalene) ; in S. Africa (organizing secretary of Central African Mission and Canon of Maritzburg), and in Essex (Rector of Wickham St. Paul's, Halstead, Essex), before coming to Sussex, the county with which he is most closely associated. He was Prebendary of Chichester (" Hova Ecclesia," 1902-3 ; " Exceit," 1903), and Rector of St. Martin and St. Olave in that city, after some thirteen years' work at Brighton as Curate of Brighton in charge of St. Stephens. Cecil Deedes was born in 1843 son of the Rev. Lewis Deedes, Rector of Bramfield, Herts and was unmarried. He had recently resigned the living he held in Chichester and gone to live at Frensham where his death took place. 10 (ffi0rasp0n&ttts. EDITORIAL communications should be addressed to " The Editor of ' Notes and Queries ' "Adver- tisements and Business Letters to " The Pub- lishers" at the Office, Printing House Square, London, E.C.4. ; corrected proofs to the Athenaeum Press, 11 and 13 Bream's Buildings, E.C.4. 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