Publisher's Synopsis
Excerpt from A General Idea of a Pronouncing Dictionary of the English Language, on a Plan Entirely New: With Observations on Several Words That Are Variously Pronounced, as a Specimen of the Work
It muf't. Be confell'ed indeed, that accurate pronunciation is the leaf}, important part of language. The grand nece?itics of nature 'are anfwered, _ and even, great advances in fcience accomplifhed by language in a rude and imperfe�t fiate. Orthography, with, all its varieties, is fufficiently uniform for the greatpurpofes, of life; and pronunciation has ever refourccs within itfelfto obviate-any difficul ties that may arife from its divcrfity. Thcfe pretences, l know, are conftantly, in the mouths ofthofc who neither eficcm nor underfiand the delicacies of language;and we might for the fame rcafons negle�t every decenteicgance and embellifhment of life The fordid and ungenerous behold with difiafie every improvement of the mind, ' becaufe it is not abfolutelyneceffary to the exif'rence of man but let fuch confi der, that they form a wrong eftimate of nature, if theyfuppofe that becaufe the fenfml appetites are the firft calls of our condition, they are therefore the end and. Obje�'t of it. They are the bans indeed of every thing we poffefs, butsfeem entire ly fubfervient to our intellecfiual enjoyments, thofe ideas of decency, elegance and order, which are fure to take place in the mind of man the moment he has provided againft the common neceffities of nature.
If, therefore, every argument for the improvement of language were waved.
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