PITMAN SYSTEM The publication by Isaac Pitman, in 1837, of Stenographic Sound Hand marked a new era in the development of phonetic systems. Not only did he classify the sounds of the language scientifically and arrange his material for writing accordingly, but he introduced simple expedients of abbreviation that made for rapidity. A short summary of the principles underlying the system is given.
Since the system is phonetic, all words are written according to their sounds. The words lain, deal, may, knife would therefore be written as if they were spelled Ian, del, nif.
consonants in the system are drawn from simple geometrical forms, straight lines and shallow curves. It is a curious fact that, while the tendency in longhand writing, beginning about A.D. 600 with the development of the Uncial letters, was away from the Roman capital letters and toward a cursive style, this tendency did not affect shorthand writing, although several systems appearing before Pitman's were cursive in form. In Pitman's system there are 26 signs for 24 consonant sounds in the language, two of the signs being provided with duplicates for convenience in joining with other signs. The first 16 signs occur in pairs, a light sign for a light sound, and a heavier sign for a heavy sound.
12 vowels in the language, ah, a, e, aw, o, oo, as heard in the words, " Pa, may we all go too? and their corres ponding light sounds, a, e, o, u, oo, as in the words, "That pen is not much good," are represented by a dot and a dash, dis joined. A heavy dot placed opposite the beginning of a con sonant represents the long vowel ah; opposite the middle of the stroke it represents a; and opposite the end of a stroke it repre sents O. A short, heavy dash placed similarly represents the sounds aw, O. The dot or the dash is made very light to represent the corresponding light or short vowel sounds. To illustrate: pa \ bay X tea I, sigh ode -I bug The sound s when preceding or following another consonant is expressed by a small circle : pays tease L. spouse When the sound ses occurs other than at the beginning of a word, it is represented by a large circle : paces teases 6.
The small circle for s is turned into a small loop to represent st, and into a larger loop to represent str: past \ pastor `p boast boaster must muster state .r steam Use of hooks used as abbreviating devices are obtained from segments of the circle s, or of the large circle for ses. A small hook written at the beginning of a consonant on the left of straight downstrokes and under horizontal strokes adds r; a small hook written at the end of a consonant under the same conditions represents n: pray `\ brain tray 1. train 3' grow grown . A small initial hook written on the right side of downstrokes or above horizontals represents 1; at the end of these strokes, it expresses f or v: play \ pave \, brave \ blow bluff glow glove The common sound of Vowel rapid writing it is not possible to insert all vowels, nor is it necessary. Three methods are employed
to indicate the presence or absence of a vowel. Letters having alternate forms are used for this purpose; the downward r usually indicates that a vowel precedes it, whereas the upward form is usually used when a vowel follows. By writing a word in position with relation to the line, it is possible to indicate a vowel. Words may be written above the line to indicate a first-place vowel, on the line for a second-place vowel, and through the line for a third place vowel. The first up or down stroke in the word generally takes the position, and the rest of the outline follows in regular order. The position of the word is determined by the first vowel. The third method of vowel indication is by the use of some of the consonant outlines instead of their abbreviated form, as the use of the s stroke in place of the circle at the beginning of a word, or the writing of the n stroke in place of the n hook in such a word as funny.
Grammalogues.—A large number of the most commonly occur ring words have been condensed in outline form so that they Illustration of Pitman Shorthand to memorize before he can develop much speed. These con tractions are usually long or awkward outlines that have, been reduced in form by dropping parts of the word but at the same time keeping them significant enough to establish their identity.
Examples of these are : indispensable `% dangerous in defatigable The Pitman system was introduced into America a few years after its publication. Alfred Baker tells us in the Life of Sir Isaac Pitman that the first instruction book in Pitman shorthand was brought out by Mr. Stephen Pearl Andrews (Boston, 1844). In 1852, Mr. Benn Pitman, brother of the author of the system, came to America to continue the work he had been doing for several years. After the publication of the loth ed., in which the vowel scale was changed, Benn Pitman refused to adopt the change and adhered to the old forms. Many others who had learned and practised the system began to modify it and publish it in altered form. Among these were A. J. Graham, J. E. Munson, E. Longley and Eliza B. Burns.