The biologists first borrowed it and later seem desirous of
corrupting it. Perhaps they think of such words as '[=e]gress', but
the long vowel is right in the stressed penultimate.
One natural tendency in English runs strongly against etymology.
This is the tendency to throw the stress back, which about a century
ago turned 'cont['e]mplate' into 'c['o]ntemplate' and somewhat
later 'ill['u]strate' into '['i]llustrate'. Shakespeare and Milton
pronounced 'instinct' as we pronounce 'distinct' and 'aspect' as we
pronounce 'respect'. Thus Belarius is made to say
'Tis wonder
That an invisible inst['i]nct should frame them
To royalty unlearn'd,
and Milton has
By this new felt attraction and instinct,
and also
In battailous asp['e]ct and neerer view.
The retrogression of the stress is in these instances well
established, and we cannot quarrel with it; but against some very
recent instances a protest may be made. One seems to be a corruption
of the War. In 1884 the _N.E.D._ recognized no pronunciation of it
save 'all['y]', as in Romeo's
This gentleman, the prince's neer Alie.
The late Mr. B.B. Rogers in his translations of Aristophanes has of
course no other pronunciation. His verses are too good to be spoiled
by what began as a vulgarism. Another equally recent vulgarism, not
recognized by the _N.E.D._ and bad enough to make George Russell
turn in his grave, is 'm['a]gazine' for 'magaz['i]ne'.
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