Hannah Fancher's Notes
On Ohio Speech in 1824
edited by JOHN Y. SIMON
Hannah Fancher, of Brown County, Ohio,
was a tireless uplifter of her
neighbors. In long letters prepared for
the newspapers, she offered advice
on many topics: the length of sermons,
behavior in church, how to sing
properly, the importance of keeping
promises, even the best method for
killing bedbugs.1 In 1833 she made a
public appeal for forty dollars to
have her "Rules of Politeness"
printed, an appeal necessary because "the
losses she has met with in years past,
by larceny, accident, and knavery,
has destroyed her pecuniary
ability"--and apparently her grammar as
well.2
Of her personal life we know definitely
only that in 1830 she lived in
Russellville, where the census-taker
noted that she lived alone and was
aged between forty and fifty. By 1832
she had moved to Georgetown, the
county seat. A certain Silas, or Samuel,
Bartholomew, married in Vermont
to Chloe Fancher, had come to Jefferson Township
(in which Russellville
was the only town) in 1813, purchased a
farm of a hundred acres, and
established a fruit orchard. His
neighbors remembered that "Mr. Bar-
tholomew was a true type of Vermont
Yankee, somewhat eccentric in
his manner of living and doing business,
but withal an excellent man.
Mrs. Bartholomew also partook somewhat
of the eccentricities of her
husband." Samuel Bartholomew,
calling himself the "Woodland Rhymster,"
published a volume of doggerel decrying
indulgence in the rearing of chil-
dren.3 It is only a guess that Hannah
Fancher was his wife's unmarried
sister, but there is a certain family
resemblance.
True to her reforming bent, in 1824
Hannah Fancher sent "A Criticism
on the adjacent spoken Language" to
David Ammen, editor of the Ripley,
Ohio, Castigator. With the
exception of a prefatory paragraph, in which
she alluded to rebuffs from other
editors, her entire communication is
printed below as it first appeared.
Something of American speech in the
early nineteenth century can be
discovered in contemporary dictionaries,
guides to pronunciation, treatises
NOTES ARE ON PAGES 59-60
OHIO SPEECH IN 1824 35
on manners, and travelers' accounts.
What Hannah Fancher provides is
a unique account of actual usage in
early Ohio. When she wrote, young
Ulysses Grant, son of a tanner in
Georgetown, was two years old, and
presumably would speak much as his
neighbors did until he went to West
Point in 1839. Not far away, in Indiana,
Abe Lincoln was fifteen years
old and would get no more formal
education. For him, a chair would
always be a "cheer."
Hannah Fancher's notes reveal that her
neighbors in this Ohio River
county were likely to follow southern
patterns and also to preserve words
and expressions obsolete in standard
English. At the same time, they were
forging a new language for a new
country. Presumably a New Englander,
she condemned some usage which was not
improper, only strange to her
ear. She would have felt more
comfortable in the Western Reserve, where
New England patterns of speech
prevailed.
Never generous when discussing the
faults of her neighbors, Hannah
Fancher covered a wide range of speech
errors, yet she found none of
the "haint" and
"his'n" type of speech so often attributed to early residents
of the Midwest for modern popular
entertainment. In fact, these Ohioans
were necessarily in closer contact with
the Atlantic coast than their descen-
dants, and successive waves of itinerant
school teachers invariably came
from the same direction. Customary
speech showed fewer deviations from
generally accepted standards elsewhere
than it would later when rural
isolation had reinforced the pattern of
archaism and regional differen-
tiation.
Richly varied, Ohio speech reflected the
origins of its settlers. One of
Grant's former playmates recalled that
he "used to hang around the skirts
of Grant's 'wamus,'" indicating the
adaptation of a German word for
jacket.4 In 1890 an Ohioan noted,
perhaps prematurely, that "the genera-
tion has passed away here that
pronounced hiah for Ohio, and deestrict for
district."5 Yet even today an attentive listener can find in Ohio,
as else-
where, lingering evidence of the history
of the American language.
A Criticism on the adjacent spoken Language.6
The first settlers of an interior
country are, generally speaking, either
those of the lower class, or those who
have been reduced to indigence by
unavoidable misfortunes, or their own
mismanagement, or those who have
fled from justice, or the enterprising
young man, whose chief object is to
purchase and improve land. And whatever
literary advantages such char-
acters might have had, it may easily be
conceived that, considering the
state of things in an uncultivated
country, they would soon begin to
Udegenerate.
The first settlers of this country
having been of different nations, and,
(as is believed) principally of the
lower class, which description of all
nations having each their own peculiar
words and phrases which are not
to be found in any dictionary, or, do
not belong to any language; these,
altogether, form one jarring medley, or
inharmonious compound, which, as
the majority of the people were English,
bears the name of English
language. (But, though the ground-work
be English, it is too much adult-
36 OHIO HISTORY
erated to justly deserve that
appellation.) And custom has required those
who come in more recently to join this
corrupt dialect. Some have soon
complied lest they should disoblige
custom. Others, though inflexible at
first, have, by the strength and
insinuations of custom been at last over-
powered. "Custom," says Dr.
Franklin, "is the plague of wise men, and
the idol of fools."
Some proper words they appropriate to as
improper purposes, as they
do the female, whose allotment is to
assist in clearing land, to shear sheep,
to pull and dress flax, to plant and hoe
corn, to make hay &c. while her
own household affairs are in such a
state of derangement and confusion
that one unacquainted with the
circumstances, would entertain respecting
her a very unfavorable opinion.--The man
shouldering on the female that
load or curse which his Maker designed
he should bear, of course she
has to bear a double curse, for if she
choose a married life, (as most
females as well as males do, provided
their taste and their judgment can
be accommodated) she need scarcely hope
to avoid the curse which her
Maker assigned her, and in which the man
cannot participate.
But to return--It may very rationally be
supposed to be the business
of the linguist to insist on a
renovation: to reduce dislocations, or, restore
them to their proper place; to expunge
redundancies or superfluities; to
rectify, to regulate, to harmonize.
But what has the linguist done? Was the
task so arduous that he
dreaded the undertaking to the neglect
of it: The greater the work the
sooner it merits our engagement. Did he
fear censure? From whom did he
expect it? Not from the judicious and
discerning, surely, for they would
approve if they did not feel adequate to
such performance. He could not,
consistently, expect censure but from
those whose judgments were so
weak, & whose minds so finite, that
neither their approbation nor dis-
approbation merited any consideration.
Teachers are (or ought to be) adepts in
the language they profess to
teach, and if teachers would be
unanimous in prohibiting their pupils the
use of every kind of circumlocution and
solecism, it would, perhaps, be the
most effectual method to restore the
language to its purity of any which
could be adopted. Those who do not
attend the schools, but who are desirous
of correctness, would unite in the
renovation. There are, to be sure, some
who are very tenacious of old habits and
customs, whether good or bad;
but the fabric, being thus undermined,
would most certainly, in time, be
demolished.
We now proceed to a partial catalogue of
the above mentioned words
and phrases.
1. Which is used to require a speaker to
repeat his words in order to
get an understanding? instead of what
did you say? whereas which is
referable only to two objects: i.e.
which of these books will you take?7
2. Dauncy is used to express
ill-health.8 3. Swithers is used to represent
hesitation, doubt, difficulty, or
suspense.9 4. Right is used for quite.10
5. The Croup is called the bold hives.11
6. A cataneous [sic] eruption, or,
an eruption of the skin, is called the
hives. But if bold be a proper epithet
of the former, why would it not be
proper, for the sake of contradistinction,
to apply the epithet Bashful to the
latter? 7. Onions are called ingorns.12
8. An inflammation is called a bealing.
The pus, or digested matter is also
OHIO SPEECH IN 1824
37
called bealing. Beal, as a noun, is a
whelk or pimple; as a verb, to ripen.
to gather matter.13 9. Chance is used in lieu of
quantity. The meaning of
Chance is casual occurrence, event,
fortune, accident &c.14 [10.] The parti-
ciple seen is used for the verb saw. I
seen your horse in the pasture yester-
day, instead of I saw &c. Seed is
also used for saw. But seed alone is the
principle of increase. 11. Big is
inelegantly used for great or large. Bit is
used to express distance. 12. Bit is
also used to express time, instead of
while. 13. In frequently, the e of the
first syllable is pronounced short in-
stead of long, and the q placed on the
first syllable instead of the second,
whereas it ought to be pronounced like
its primitive, frequent. 14. The
participle done is used for the verb
did. He done his work well, instead of he
did his work well. 15. Can is pronounced
ken or kin. 16. Lift is used for take,
or pick up. 17. Committee is pronounced
on the 1st and 3d syllables instead
of the 2d. 18. Character is pronounced
on the 2d syllable instead of the first.
19. Like is used for as, though. 20.
Length is pronounced lenth, strength,
strenth &c. 21. Talk to is used for
talk with. 22. That is used for so. I
have that much instead of I have so
much. 23. By myself, by himself &c.
is used for alone. 24. Natchez is
pronounced Notchee. 25. Dissolve is
pronounced resolve [desolve]. 26. Thoroughly
is pronounced throughly. 27.
Cir-cuit-ous is pronounced
cir-cu-it-ous; four syllables instead of 3.15 28. In
words ending in ts, whether
monosyllables, dissyllables, trisyllables, or
polysyllables, the 2 last letters are
not sounded. Thus fasts, lasts, lists.
hosts, feasts, joists, assists,
manifests, antagonists, are pronounced fas,
las. lis, hos, feas, jois, assis,
manifes. antagonis. 29. The first person
singular is used with the verb of the 3d
person. I balances my accounts
every year, instead of I balance &c.
I wants to build a house, instead of
I want &c. 30. Here is pronounced
her or h'yer. 31. I have is pronounced I ha.
32. A horse is called a kritter.
(meaning creature) But a mouse, an owl,
or elephant is a creature as well as a
horse.16 33. Currants are pronounced
curns. 34. Interest is pronounced
intrust, & accented on both syllables; but
it is a word of three syllables, and
ought to be pronounced on the first. 35.
Difficulty is accented on the 2d
syllable instead of the first. 36. Contrary
is accented on the 2d syllable instead
of the first. 37. April is pronounced
Aprile. (i long instead of short) 38. Y
in hymn is pronounced long instead
of short. Y also at the end of a word is
pronounced long instead of short,
by many, in singing.17 39. You is used
for that. 40. Kentucky is pronounced
Canetuck.18 41. Just is pronounced Jes
or Jis. 42. The objective case is
used for the nominative. Her and me went
home, instead of she and I
&c. 43. She is used for a wheel or
watch, instead of it. 44. Heap is inele-
gantly used for much, or very much. 45.
The active verb is used for the
neuter. A tree lays across the road,
instead of a tree lies &c. 46. The
noun loss is used for the verb lose. The
o here sounds like oo proper, and $
sounds like z. 47. Stab is pronounced
stob. 48. Soft is pronounced saft.
49. Fetch is pronounced fotch, catch
cotch &c. 50. Barrel is pronounced
barl. 51. Let on is used for told, or
tell, or pretend. 52. Pritty is used for
beautiful or handsome. 53. Ugly is
inelegantly used for homely, 54. A
brand is called a chunk. Good chunk is
also used to denote a considerable
size, and great chunk to denote a still
larger size.19 55. Lumber is called
plunder; but plunder is the fruit of
violence, or what is taken by force.
[56.] A spout is called a spoil.20 57. Drop is
pronounced drap. 58. Reverend
is used to express the simple, pure, or
unmixed state of a thing. The mean-
38 OHIO HISTORY
ing of reverend is a title of honor,
requiring awe, or respect.21 59.
Beyond is pronounced beyent. 61. Took is
pronounced tuck. 61. Might is
pronounced mought. 62. Warrant is
pronounced warn. 63. In measure
the e of the first syllable is accented
long, but it ought to be short. 64. Crowd
is pronounced scrowd. 65. Thin boards
are called plank. The meaning of
plank is a thick, strong board, only.
66. In the word possess, s is sounded
like z, but it ought to be sounded soft.
67. Tetters are called tetter-worm.22
68. It is used for the infinitive
pronoun that. It is also used [as] a substan-
tive without any antecedent. 69. Will is
used for shall.23 70. Vessel is
pronounced ves'l, travel, trav'l &c.
71. To is used for of. I took no notice
to it. To is also used instead of for. I
want a girl to spin to me. 72. In
the word sovereign, the o is pronounced
like short aw, whereas it ought
to be sounded like short u. The o in
bonnet has the same sound, viz. like
short u. 73. Through other is used to
express derangement or disorder.
74. Appraise is pronounced prase. In
that word the a is silent, and the i
accented long. 75. I would not care to,
is used instead of I would [not] wish
for. 76. Madder is pronounced mather.
77. Tomorrow-week. This day 2
weeks. This day year &c. are used
instead of a week from to-morrow,
2 weeks from to-day, a year from to-day
&c. 78. Two hours sun, is used
instead of the sun 2 hours high. 79. In
participles ending in ing, the i and
g are not sounded. Thus fighting,
sitting, eating, going, are pronounced
fight'n, sitt'n, eat'n, go'n &c. 80.
Even is pronounced e-vun Heaven,
Heav-un &c. 81. Ladder is pronounced
lather. Lather is the foam of soap
and water.24 82, Liable is used for
exposed to the penalty of the law. 83.
On is inelegantly used for about, or
concerning. He reported falsehood
on me. 84. A sieve is called a sifter.
(in that word the e is silent, and the
i short) A sifter is one who performs
the action of sifting. 85. A fanning-
mill is called a wind-mill. A wind-mill
is a mill which is turned by the
wind.25 86. A spear-pointed lance is
called a thumb-lance.26 87. Team
is used for pour. The meaning of team is
a farmer's wagon, horses, or
oxen, with their equipage.27 88. Immediately
is pronounced immedently.
89. Fountain is pronounced foun'n,
mountain, moun'n &c. 90. Idol is pro-
nounced idle. The meaning of idle is
unemployed, and the meaning of idol
is an image worshipped as a God. 91. To
is pronounced like tow, but it
ought to be pronounced like too. 92.
Serpent is pronounced serp'nt, fervent,
ferv'nt &c. 93. Nor is used for
than. I like this better nor I do that. 94.
Scary is used for skittish. 95. Ferment
is pronounced foment.--Ferment
is to work like leaven on beer, and
foment is to bathe a part over
hot steam. 96. An emetic or puke is
called a physic.--Physic signifies
medicine indiscriminately. 97. Whip is
pronounced hoop. 98. Nausea, or
sickness of the stomach is called
heart-sickness. 99. (In law) Sapena is
used for summon.28 100.
Attendance is used for fee. Do you claim your
attendance? instead of, do you claim
your fee for attendance? Certainly.
it is the plaintiff and defendant who
claim the witnesses' attendance.
The author now desists, and should need
be,
She hopes that some more competent than
she,
To such important work will lend a hand,
That language may on its own basis
stand.
THE EDITOR: John Y. Simon is the
executive director of the Ulysses S.
Grant
Association.
Hannah Fancher's Notes
On Ohio Speech in 1824
edited by JOHN Y. SIMON
Hannah Fancher, of Brown County, Ohio,
was a tireless uplifter of her
neighbors. In long letters prepared for
the newspapers, she offered advice
on many topics: the length of sermons,
behavior in church, how to sing
properly, the importance of keeping
promises, even the best method for
killing bedbugs.1 In 1833 she made a
public appeal for forty dollars to
have her "Rules of Politeness"
printed, an appeal necessary because "the
losses she has met with in years past,
by larceny, accident, and knavery,
has destroyed her pecuniary
ability"--and apparently her grammar as
well.2
Of her personal life we know definitely
only that in 1830 she lived in
Russellville, where the census-taker
noted that she lived alone and was
aged between forty and fifty. By 1832
she had moved to Georgetown, the
county seat. A certain Silas, or Samuel,
Bartholomew, married in Vermont
to Chloe Fancher, had come to Jefferson Township
(in which Russellville
was the only town) in 1813, purchased a
farm of a hundred acres, and
established a fruit orchard. His
neighbors remembered that "Mr. Bar-
tholomew was a true type of Vermont
Yankee, somewhat eccentric in
his manner of living and doing business,
but withal an excellent man.
Mrs. Bartholomew also partook somewhat
of the eccentricities of her
husband." Samuel Bartholomew,
calling himself the "Woodland Rhymster,"
published a volume of doggerel decrying
indulgence in the rearing of chil-
dren.3 It is only a guess that Hannah
Fancher was his wife's unmarried
sister, but there is a certain family
resemblance.
True to her reforming bent, in 1824
Hannah Fancher sent "A Criticism
on the adjacent spoken Language" to
David Ammen, editor of the Ripley,
Ohio, Castigator. With the
exception of a prefatory paragraph, in which
she alluded to rebuffs from other
editors, her entire communication is
printed below as it first appeared.
Something of American speech in the
early nineteenth century can be
discovered in contemporary dictionaries,
guides to pronunciation, treatises
NOTES ARE ON PAGES 59-60