'impugno'; even as the
_b_ in 'debt', 'doubt', is not idle, but tells of 'debitum' and
'dubium'{233}.

{Sidenote: _Pronunciation Alters_}

At present it is the written word which is in all languages their
conservative element. In it is the abiding witness against the
mutilations or other capricious changes in their shape which
affectation, folly, ignorance, and half-knowledge would introduce. It is
not indeed always able to hinder the final adoption of these corrupter
forms, but does not fail to oppose to them a constant, and very often a
successful, resistance. With the adoption of phonetic spelling, this
witness would exist no longer; whatever was spoken would have also to be
written, let it be never so barbarous, never so great a departure from
the true form of the word. Nor is it merely probable that such a
barbarizing process, such an adopting and sanctioning of a vulgarism,
might take place, but among phonographers it already has taken place. We
all probably are aware that there is a vulgar pronunciation of the word
'Eu_rope_', as though it were 'Eu_rup_'. Now it is quite possible that
numerically more persons in England may pronounce the word in this
manner than in the right; and therefore the phonographers are only true
to their principles when they spell it in the fashion which they do,
'Eurup', or indeed omitting the E at the beginning, 'Urup'{234} with
thus the life of the first syllable assailed no less than that of the
second. What are the consequences? First its relations with the old
mythology are at once and entirely broken off; secondly, its most
probable etymology from two Greek words, signifying 'broad' and 'face',
Europe being so called from the _Broad_ line or _face_ of coast which
our continent presented to the Asiatic Greek, is totally obscured. But
so far from the spelling servilely following the pronunciation, I should
be bold to affirm that if ninety-nine out of every hundred persons in
England chose to call Europe 'Urup', this would be a vulgarism still,
against which the written word ought to maintain its protest, not
sinking down to their level, but rather seeking to elevate them to its
own{235}.

{Sidenote: _Changes of Pronunciation_}

And if there is much in orthography which is unsettled now, how much
more would be unsettled then. Inasmuch as the pronunciation of words is
continually altering, their spelling would of course have continually to
alter too. For the fact that pronunciat