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PRID. ID. AUG. MMV

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Dui Decimal Clasification [sic]

I was aware that Melvil Dewey, serial nutcase and occasional librarian, had dipped into spelling reform (he even changed his name to Melvil Dui) but last week I had the opportunity to catalogue a 1922 edition of the Dewey classification printed entirely using reformed spelling. The title page, for example, reads:

Decimal Clasification
and
Relativ Index
for libraries and personal use
in arranjing for immediate reference
books, pamflets, clippings, pictures, manuscript notes
and other material
by
Melvil Dewey M A LL D

Edition 11, revized and enlarjd

A note on page 2 explains that the book uses the spelling recommended by the Simplified Spelling Board as well as many other simpler forms. Most S S B rules and our aditions merely drop useless or misleading silent letters, with needed substitutes in a few cases, e.g. f for ph and gh in phlegm and rough, where we drop g and o and substitute f, speling flem and ruf. A better sample is given in the following notice on Modifying D C numbers which although forward looking in its attitude to copyright is backward-looking in its contribution to standardization and international bibliographic control:

Confuzion and annoyance to thousands of uzers cauzd by printing unauthorized variations force the publishers to insist strictly on ful copyryt protection. Every library and individual uzer has, however, entire freedom to make such variations as he thinks he needs, under the simpl restrictions found necesary to protect the ryts of others. See p. 32-249, Letter or simbol notations for chanjes or aditions.

I want to offer this up as an interesting curiosity rather than get too involved in discussion of reformed spelling, but several things occur to me. The system seems very unsystematic and, if anything, coy and rather ad hoc: why are double letters allowed in annoyance and clippings but not in necesary; why in the latter word is one sound represented two different ways: by a letter c then by a letter s; why in the word copyryt does the y represent two different sounds? Strange things like -tion endings remain: shurely should be -shun. Anyway, the modern movement for such things seems to revolve around the Simplified Spelling Society. Ask them.

Looking at Dewey's entry in Wikipedia, I learnt that one of his apparent improvements was the American spelling of the word catalog, as opposed to the correct catalogue. I never knew this. Not the greatest contribution to standards when we think of the convolutions and wildcards necessary to search effectively on modern catalogues (catalog*s) and databases.

Comments (26)

best in usa wrote

More or less not much going on worth mentioning. Pretty much nothing seems worth doing. I've just been staying at home not getting anything done. So it goes. I've just been letting everything wash over me lately, but I guess it doesn't bother me. My mind is like a complete blank. Mick Fright wrote

Pretty much not much going on worth mentioning. I can't be bothered with anything recently. Maybe tomorrow. That's how it is.

Kirill Abdula wrote

Regarding the open-source "rules", have you considered releasing the models under a Creative Commons license?

Uma Turman wrote

Basically nothing noteworthy happening , but such is life. Pfft. So it goes. I haven't gotten much done lately. What can I say?

Aaron Serdel wrote

I feel like a fog. My life's been really boring today. I haven't been up to much.

Hams Delavera wrote

I really appreciate Ms. Frizzle's thoughts; I wish that we had her school's culture of collegiality in our California junior high school.

Bob Dannon wrote

Hi, just popped in here through a random link. Hi, firstly I'd like to say your site is great and very impressive. Enjoyed the reading.

Kirill Abdula wrote

I've more or less been doing nothing to speak of. I've just been hanging out waiting for something to happen, but it's not important. Whatever

Kirill Abdula wrote

Today was a complete loss. I feel like a complete blank. I don't care.

Aaron Serdel wrote

Hi, just popped in here through a random link. Hi, firstly I'd like to say your site is great and very impressive. Enjoyed the reading.

Bob Dannon wrote

Today was a complete loss. I feel like a complete blank. I don't care.

Uma Turman wrote

I can't be bothered with anything recently. I haven't been up to much these days, but I don't care. I just don't have anything to say right now. I've just been staying at home not getting anything done, but such is life. Today was a total loss.

Mick Fright wrote

I feel like a fog. My life's been really boring today. I haven't been up to much.

Hams Delavera wrote

Very useful. I found this to be a joy to browse in.

Andy Lione wrote

I feel like a fog. My life's been really boring today. I haven't been up to much.

Uma Turman wrote

Very informative and well designed website. I'm sure, you will be successful with it, have a nice day!

Andy Lione wrote

What would have been the course of the SS privatization debate,-especially SS-national savings-equity premium nexus, if this had been the standard all along?

Ben Desant wrote

Nothing seems important. I've just been sitting around waiting for something to happen. What can I say? It's not important. I guess it doesn't bother me. My life's been basically dull.

Aaron Serdel wrote

I've more or less been doing nothing to speak of. I just don't have much to say these days, not that it matters. Basically not much noteworthy going on worth mentioning. So it goes.

Dan Glober wrote

I've more or less been doing nothing , but oh well. Basically nothing seems worth thinking about, but such is life. I don't care. I haven't been up to much.

Aaron Serdel wrote

My mind is like a bunch of nothing. My life's been really unremarkable , but it's not important. I can't be bothered with anything these days. I just don't have anything to say lately.

Uma Turman wrote

More buyers required means a lower price will have to be charged.

Bob Dannon wrote

I just don't have anything to say lately. Pfft. Maybe tomorrow. I don't care. That's how it is.

Aaron Serdel wrote

Sehr guten site. Alles arbeitet deutlich, schon eben storungsfrei. Wer machte? Vielleicht vom Weg?

Max Frei wrote

Some pages can't fit in to a 800x600 screen. I have to scroll left and right to read all the text.

Bob Dannon wrote

Regarding the open-source "rules", have you considered releasing the models under a Creative Commons license?

A.D. III ID. AUG. MMV

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001

001. Again.

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A.D. III ID. AUG. MMV

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