use of the voice in our natural language that we THE BASIC WORD WHEEL
ale not generally conscious of it, add ure even say The Word Wheel is an apParatus for putting
there is no such thing. But it is quickly tt"*fld-s wor,ds in the right order automatically. It is
clear to us that something is wrong when the narned the ' Panopticon' because all the
words of a person strapge to our language come. necessary units are seen together.
to our ears, because generally he takes no trouble In its simplest formr it is made of cardboarcl
about the way in which our voices go up and and is the same size as a small phonograph
down the scale. This is not surprising, because record. There are seven wheels or circles one on
it has been hard to get any training in this special top of the other, and on the edges of these circles
branch of the language question. Only a very words are printed, so that when these circles are
small number of those who make use of English turned in the right w&f, the words make sense
would be able to give him the right sort of on a line left to right from the middle of the
teaching, because we ourselves had little know- circle.
ledge of it till a short time back. But it is there, First get these rvords {ixed in that position:
and it is very important, so do your best to get i wrr,r, Crvn srMpLE nuln(s) To Bov slowr-y.
it right. Put on the record, and get the sound of Then you have everything as in the picture-
everything which is said. After a short time you
will see that it becomes less hard, but at first
waQ
the new way of making sounds is certain to be a
cause of trouble. But all the words are on
sAslc
3"
three phonograph records, so the trouble is ten
times less than with any other language designed
for international purposes.
One last word on the Sounds of Basic
English. If it is going to be the common
language of millions from all countries, it will
have to be used in such a way that
(a) the sense of what you say witl be clear to
all whose natural language is English ;
(b) any two talkers from Countries widely
separate on the map will be clear to one
another
This is to say
- that there will have to be
agreement about the normal sounds of our
language-the same for us all. Though we may
not all be able to get to the same level, we are,
at any rate, all able to make the attempt, and so
be certain that we are working in the same direc- \ .$\
\+" \
tion. The sounds which are given on the Basic
English records will give you an idea of the lines l*'\.d'
on which agreement is to be desired. They are
tbout the same as those fixed bythe authorities of
tbe British Broadcasting C orporation , and they will
be clear wherever the English language is used.
l7E
1 Price z16 (5o cents) from The Orthological Institutc,
ror King's Parado, Cambridge, England.
179
t------l---:t----::
'11 ,
Tho button in the middte takes the place of to make statements on tho rea{ing'ti9" starting
:
the word by which any statement is -started. ;l *iu gi;"-:' or " r would q1v5'-9t " r may
By putting'iu ' a' or i the,' wnCie necessary, giiJ''*-': giver-;'- (simple rules to
I -ignt ;" r
maLing the additisn of s (as in ' rules ') for moie
than oue, and letting the button be the word ' I,'
you get :
" f wiU give simple nrles to the boy slowly ".
ill,:}'H w ;'';?Erht" ;j3;' ff;
table " ; and so on.
Ht
In the t"*" way, by moving everylhinq 9P*
the first and second circles, you would geE ,,^
\Alhen fixed in this way, tle wheel is giving
*itt put brown sand " , 'l I wil.Pot,y?Jm wax '
you.10 complete statements (one for every simple ;i-fiir put (t) ;;; ptt b.y flre.tit" ": "-!--will Put
act) :
" T put good food on the table "
" I tohe brown sand from the farm here " #**':iJil:Inru";*#;::J#;'J*?uil
fixed, you #;GGu" i" the wor4 grouPs for
so on ; the last being " I go up". birt, naturally, thev vrill not
-and
Only ono of these is on the natural-reading-line t;;li"gf potio."t ; in the
(from left to right) which is marked by the P all make good sense
"rr"o'Ii;il;_fi,'"rds'are
;Ght;;a&-uv in" rules (pages-l4.and 50)'
when the wheel is in this position. ,6tlor"Ji, ifrited with somew9other
If the ti;;;;h
Only these ten groups of words have been *ora ln"r, u,t ' .utttant', so,that ge!
put into lines with a puqpose ; others (such as " (The) ,"rrr"riip"lt.l good . i.oo* on . (!He)
' copy against horse ') may be in a line with one tt, - -
' put;- *iir bb'ch;3f,f"j?"fil",t*rlil:
another in this position, but they are all there as Illru
separate words with no necessary connection " Servant(s) Put good foo
between them. right as it is.
Afte , ,i*u and go, when th-e wheel is in
.
key
1. The first circle has on it will {wouldl and position (as in the plitryg), y9o harve two
spaces'
may (might\ (see page 25). We do ttot l-co*"'food "oi ' go food because
2. has the ten chief names of acts, ' Do ' anrl *,r+ going *:"*:s;1h3"$I;"H#fl1
"
'be ' are not there, because this little we tafe a jumP to"1"
"o*iqg the n
or up
apparatus is designed only for the operations ,"ttt"tt the bod' it moved (through glass'
in their simplest fsrm. tl" ri.tj . rt 1r pottible t9
Se.!- a. jracg after any
J
3. has a selection of names of qualilras (twelve). word uy torrrffi;h;;ir;iu"tiu th6re is no word
question' so
4. ,"uoioglli";^;t;L; point i'-Iin (th,:)rb::h
:,
'|
.i
has a selection of names of, things (twenty) on the
which are being moved or acted on. we may rnake-statementslike Pul " wur
t,' 5. gives the directioas (twenty) in which they here "i or " They go now "' If we sav r
i,i
ri may be moved. put the booi';"J fr." liiile, ifi,., the itatement
a! the
'I
6. has the names of the things they are put on, ;;;i;te uy starting againsuch
may ue madl-goirrf
t,:,
taken from, and so on (a selection of twenty- button, and oo otitn tn" iords as
ril one). ;lit r'na.te a clean i.l- the lrouse now "'
7 . has four ' adverbs ' by which statements may Make a note that., I;ill s"l do*n the wallwall
"9qv "-,
be ended, and six words by which they may has a different sense fro*;T *iU get the
or
be made to go on to some new statement. down ", when you are lvorking with the names
acts and th;ri;& ; and give special
Now keep everything fixed but the first circle. attention to the ways"l-air""ii.f,s
in which the words on clrcles
Then, by turning this first circle, you will be able i,"4 S U" *oied into a1t" with one another
-"y
180 18r
fr $iili:#tri;trl:ir""X,?F"?f},,T:S":i KEY To rHE wonbs
{i-+!fi ,i&1:f_1"?':-fi fix,Tr"* +*ii;*H: Thc 85o Basic uords arc all, itt
i
thds list, togetkcs
-words,wdth som. ol thr
ffigle 'hnport-ant speadal fonros aud. cotnfl,er uhich qotbi .ir
diffcrant pint.
i!E?-;#r{i$T,n:m;*y";,*.}"ffir
point while.it is turning. Wildrlif" l*;;;;
seem at first to be oo,rft *n"t"""t;;;#:";tgit a, lz, t4, 15. awake, 19.
able, 161 4o, tz8, t56. gualr 56, ro4, ro5, rro, t2r, r{,5.
take the stralg"
\"y througilifrulf.rs slowty ,, is aboutr'3r, l16, 136, t4t.
account, r37, r4I.
baby, r9r 9r,
F"*, Z, ag, to4, t36, t$o, tr?.
,T,'iifonTilll?Liill*tf":t-t:,kr'}fi',-x*1; acid, 98.
across, 3t, t36, t3l.
bad, 16, ?9, r38, t4i'i,Eotsc, ?g,
r45 ; wosstr Tg.
with the aoparatus in tiiE way iiff jro" bag, 48.
of evervrtitlg itiii'd", ,, one yay ofare certain actr 71 83, 88, rr8 ; -orr 83, 16o;
getting a 'ing, t43.
balance, 83, 88, r4r ; -cd, ro7.
-t,
better [no*tEds" ball, 18, 96.
oi-til uses of the"words, and of addition, 94, tz7, r4g. band, 5, 88.
i;:nng*::,?H;,i-i" "n
;ilritiri' ;;6il ;i adjustment, 48, 89.
advertisement, 9.
Dasg, 7,88, 16r; -cd, tz5.
basin, 45, 9r.
after, 32, 6o, r16, r4l, r57, r58.
, - Till the additioo of ' a ' and ' the , before againr 4r, r58.
basket, 39.
bath, 5, 88,
the names_ comes t"" th; against, 3r, ro5, r48. be, zt, ZSt 29t 37r 66, roo ; bcmi
,o:f .-thr,ogs.
learner, it is ipngrtait ""t"r"ii|
to ue crear *il*n and *hy agreement, 9, 94, 136.
air, 6, 88, tz7.
Z3; teas, r8, 59 1 wcrc, t8 ,
ern, 73i dte, 18, er; is, tE,
ttre five words'foo{_, ,"ia,
siii,'*'ii and, oil, in
circle 4, are noriralv qrga #itrro"t-7'a ,or .
all, t4, 73, r23,
r56, r58.
rQ,rr, r{21 r45r 2I, r42.
the ,, beautiful, 16, 80.
1"q to so- over circie 6 for trr" t*o other words almost, 661 78,8o,
atn, (see bcl.
because, 6o,
bccomc, 56.
r39, r58.
and glu:g which are names of materials or
@gPgr
substances.
: r."y
J{ sp_eciai use 6f
t;;tp;;;;;:;;fi* i among, 3rt 32, tt6-tt7.
amount, g, tzr,
bed, 88, 92, T23, rz7.
bee, 35.
we are maki"g-l tn" *"ias i.ig;; amusemeltr 94. beforer 3z, 6o, rr8.
in The Basic woiasy; ana ttroiiln,'i" and, r8,58. behaviour, 13, reE.
sense, we malz say i food t, -or';L'!old different angle, 4, r44. beUefr 8, r43.
" , ,
or a ansY, 40, r3r, r4r. bell, ro3.
sand ', or ' a- wax ,,
.'
or , an oil , of' some, sort, auimal, 9, 30.
another, t4z.
bent, 16.
berry, ro, 30.
these uses are far leis common in everyday
th1n. papers tark answer, 8, 85, 88, r3g. &asl, (see gooill.
glasses. fn"ru details ant, r19. better, (see goodl,
at -the early -J"g",
not important are any, t2, 14, tt7, t24, t44. between, 32, tr8.
word wheel wiil u" oi mgst.larue] butrvhen the
they rvill
apparatus, 66.
apple, 69, tz4,
bird, 25, 8r.
bfuth, 8, 136.
approvalr g, r43, 152. bit,9, r38, r43.
li
herei 4!lB,
l";?,1'# tn"
given.
:*:tr:tr"i#
vv'YvYrv' # #*t
arch, 5, ror 84r 88.
arc, (see be).
biter T, 2a., r47.
bitter, 15, 16,93.
argument, r3r, r4o, black, 15, 16, rz3.
arm, 5, 88, 9o. blade, ro.
army, ro, 9r. blood, 6,7, 9.
art, 8. blow, zo, rz8.
asr 80, t42. blue, 15.
tt, 32, rr7, r38, t42, t43, tl1t board, 5, 88.
r45. boat, 45.
attackr 83r 88, r4g. body, S, ?r 95.
attempt, 88, rz8. boiling, 87,
attention, 13, 48, to3, r,47. bone, 88, rz6.
attractiofrt 92. bookr 5, 88, r16, 136.
authorityi rr9, tz6, tz8, tzg. boot, 5, 96.
automatic, 16, 40, 63. bottle, 45, 84, 88.
182
183
