File:Benjamin Franklin's alphabet - sample letter.png

Original file(951 × 882 pixels, file size: 203 KB, MIME type: image/png)

Summary

Description
English: Sample letter using en:Benjamin Franklin's phonetic alphabet from The writings of Benjamin Franklin (v. 3, 1750-1759) [copy at [1]]. Also printed with usual spelling in Noah Webster (1789) Dissertations on the English language, p. 407 [copy at [2]]

Dear Sir,

I have transcribed your alphabet, &c. which I think might be of service to those who wish to acquire an accurate pronunciation, if that could be fixed ; but I see many inconveniences, as well as difficulties, that would attend the bringing your letters and orthography into common use. All our etymologies would be lost ; consequently we could not ascertain the meaning of many words ; the distinction too between words of different meaning and similar sound would be useless, unless we living writers publish new editions. In short, I believe we must let people spell on in their old way, and (as we find it easiest) do the same ourselves. With ease and with sincerity I can, in the old way, subscribe myself,

Dear Sir,
Your faithful and affectionate Servant,

M. S.
Date
Source The writings of Benjamin Franklin (v. 3, 1750-1759) collected and ed., with a life and introduction, by Albert Henry Smyth. p. 174-175 of [3]
Author en:Benjamin Franklin, Albert Henry Smyth

Licensing

Public domain

This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 70 years or fewer.


You must also include a United States public domain tag to indicate why this work is in the public domain in the United States. Note that a few countries have copyright terms longer than 70 years: Mexico has 100 years, Jamaica has 95 years, Colombia has 80 years, and Guatemala and Samoa have 75 years. This image may not be in the public domain in these countries, which moreover do not implement the rule of the shorter term. Honduras has a general copyright term of 75 years, but it does implement the rule of the shorter term. Copyright may extend on works created by French who died for France in World War II (more information), Russians who served in the Eastern Front of World War II (known as the Great Patriotic War in Russia) and posthumously rehabilitated victims of Soviet repressions (more information).

Captions

Add a one-line explanation of what this file represents

Items portrayed in this file

depicts

12 November 2013

image/png

4406cb8cad4ef6018fb9d944a87d8a40778d59d8

207,862 byte

882 pixel

951 pixel

File history

Click on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time.

Date/TimeThumbnailDimensionsUserComment
current01:06, 23 August 2014Thumbnail for version as of 01:06, 23 August 2014951 × 882 (203 KB)AnonMoosgreyscaling
09:12, 12 November 2013Thumbnail for version as of 09:12, 12 November 2013951 × 882 (566 KB)MoyogoUser created page with UploadWizard
The following pages on the English Wikipedia use this file (pages on other projects are not listed):

Global file usage

The following other wikis use this file: