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 “blest” for blast, “hite” for hate (“I just hite dripery” for I just hate drapery; “me country plice” for my country place, and others). The i for a is a Mercian form of pronunciation generally in vogue during Elizabeth’s time from the Trent to the Thames. Thus the dialect which represents an early form of speech is interesting at least as a historic heritage.

The ease with which English adopts new, terse words, modified phrases, etc.; its facility for word-coinage, and its readiness to bring forth slang, have given to it the reputation of being the most susceptible, in this respect, of modern languages. Its eagerness to receive “all comers” is responsible for its devolutionary reactions. At least the votaries of “pure English” so regard it. In the long run, however, the devolution is more seeming than real, since it is intermittent and mild. The willingness of the vernacular to accept words from the farm, from the city trades, from various sports, and, in brief, from the different strata of society, is accompanied