Part 9 (2/2)

=Papaw=--pa-paw', not pop'paw as commonly called. Written also =pawpaw=.

=Papyrus=--pa-pi'rus, not pap'i-rus. A material used for writing upon by the ancients, made from the inner bark of a plant.

=Parent=--par'ent, not pa'rent.

=Parisian=--pa-riz'ian, not pa-rish'ian nor pa-riss'ian.

Worcester gives pa-rizh'i-an.

=Paroquet=--par'o-quet, not par-o-ket'.

=Parquet=--par-ka' or par-ket'. Worcester allows par-ka'

only.

=Parquette=--par-ket', not par-ka'.

=Partner=, not _pardner_.

=Partridge=, not _pattrij_.

=Patent.= The _adjective_ is p.r.o.nounced either pat'ent or pa'tent. When used as a verb or a noun it is p.r.o.nounced pat'ent.

=Patois=--pat-wo', not pat'wo nor pat-waw'.

=Patriot=--pa'tri-ot, not pat'ri-ot. =Patriotic=, =patriotism=, etc., have also the long a. Worcester gives the same with the exception of _patriotic_, which he p.r.o.nounces both pa'tri-ot-ic and pat'ri-ot-ic.

=Patron=--pa'tron, not pat'ron. =Patroness= and =patronless= have also the long a.

=Patronize=--pat'ron-ize, not pa'tron-ize.

=Patronage=--pat'ron-aje, not pa'tron-aje.

=Pease=, not _peas_, when an uncounted quant.i.ty is referred to, as: a bushel of _pease_, a plateful of _pease_, some more _pease_, etc. _Peas_ when a certain number is mentioned, as: a dozen _peas_, fifty _peas_, etc.

=Pedal=--ped'al, not pe'dal, when that portion of a piano or harp that is acted upon by the feet, is meant. Pe'dal is an adjective, and means pertaining to the above, or to a foot.

=Perfect.= I have selected this as the representative of a cla.s.s of adjectives that, strictly speaking, do not admit of comparison. I have noticed, invariably, that those who appear to be so anxious to correct the error of giving degrees of comparison to a few stereotyped words of this cla.s.s, such as _round_, _square_, _universal_, _chief_, _extreme_, etc., are singularly remiss in calling attention to a great many other mistakes of the same kind that are equally prominent. Amongst the latter may be mentioned the comparison of _correct_, _complete_, _even_, _level_, _straight_, etc. It will be admitted that if anything is _perfect_ it can not be _more_ so; and as soon as it is _less_ so it fails to be _perfect_ at all.

So, if anything is _correct_ it is perfectly free from error; it can not be made _more_ correct, and if its correctness is detracted from, it is not quite correct any longer. A _straight_ line is one that does not vary from a perfectly _direct_ course in the slightest degree; it can not be _straighter_ and if it could be _less_ straight, it would be _curved_. It is ridiculous for any one to insist upon a national reformation of a few such errors, and suffer a hundred others just like them to exist without remonstrance. Either _nearer_ and _nearest_, _more nearly_, and _most nearly_, and the like, should be subst.i.tuted for the degrees of comparison and used with all such words; or people should treat them as all other adjectives, just as the best writers and speakers have always done. The former course is the more desirable; the latter is certainly the more probable.

=Perfidious=--per-fid'i-ous, not per'fid-ous.

Worcester allows per-fid'yus in addition to the first.

=Peony=--pe'o-ny) =Paeony= (pe'o-ny) or =Piony= (pi'o-ny) not pi'ny as often called. A flower.

=Perambulate=, not _preambulate_.

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