GREGG SYSTEM In 1888, John Robert Gregg published his Light-Line Phonog raphy, in which he incorporated what he considered this funda mental idea of employing shorthand characters that were in harmony with the slant and movement of longhand as well as many other principles, the lack of which had given rise to many criticisms of existing systems. Gregg adopted the phonetic prin ciple and added a scientific analysis of handwriting. The title of the first book of his system was The Phonetic Handwriting, Gregg brought his system to America and offered it to the public soon after its publication in England. At present it is taught in more schools in the United States, and practised by more stenographers, than any other. A summary of the system is presented. The basic principles given below are taken from a copy of the original Light-Line Phonography, published in 1888: (I) Total absence of shading or thickening. (2) The characters being based on the elements of the ordinary longhand, the strokes are familiar and the motion uniform. (3) The insertion of the vowels in their natural order without lifting the pen. (4) The absence of positions, or the placing of words on, above, ox through the line of writing to imply the omission of certain vowels or consonants. (5) The preponderance of curve motion.
Although some changes have been made in the system since 1888, these principles have remained the same.
Consonants.—The consonants generally are paired according to affinity of sound and are distinguished by length. Consonant signs were selected which would permit the joining of many fre quently recurring consonantal combinations without modifying the primitive form and to make possible the writing of these forms The Signs for S and Th.—To facilitate joining in various com binations alternative signs are provided for the frequently re curring sound of s, written downward, and for th, written up ward. In the use of these forms two principles serve as guides: uniformity of rotation and forward movement when joined to curves; sharp angles when joined to straight strokes.
Vowel Signs.—The vowels are expressed by circles, small and large, and by hooks. A small circle expresses the E-group of vowels, f, e, e; a large circle, the A-group, a, a, a. The circle is written on the inside of curves and on the outside of angles; before and after straight strokes, or between straight strokes in the same direction the circle is written clockwise; between re verse curves the circle is turned back on the first curve. A sys tem of diacritics is provided for showing the exact shade of sound, as for example (1, a, but since the large circle expresses an a-sound in any case, the need for these diacritics arises rarely. To illustrate the application of the rules for joining circles: key air Q meet gain make aim (7— me mean wreck lake The hook vowels are derived from a small tical figure, thus: the lower part expressing the 0-group of vowels, 6, aw, O; the upper part expressing the 00-group, 65, o. These hooks join naturally in most combinations but
they are modified in two instances to avoid unnecessary angles, thus: the 0-hook is turned on its side before n, m, r, 1; the 00 hook is turned on its side after n, In, and after k, g, if followed by r or 1. Illustrations: ought I/ wroteknow shop f obey C to /' foot .2/ mode mood cull coal on c.– nor Signs for W and Y.—TV has the sound of 5O, as in wait, and is expressed by the sign for OW. W within a word is expressed by a short dash struck under the vowel sign. The sound for y is equivalent to long e, as e-eo-th in youth, and is so expressed, except ye is expressed by a small loop, and ya by a large loop.
Illustrations: wait 7 weave youth or" yacht Yale queen Diphthongs.—The signs for the four pure diphthongs, u, ow, oi, The real success in learning lies in absolute honesty particularly to your self. Never try to make yourself believe that you have done your best when a voice within you says you should have done better. You can hold your head high only when you have satisfied your own self that your efforts have been honest and thorough. Having chosen your calling, lay a solid foundation on which to build the structure of your knowledge. Be honest with yourself in whatever you undertake, and you will be successful.