Ohio History Journal

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

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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-

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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

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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-

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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.

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