Memory Monday: Grammar in the Mid-19th Century and How It Differs from Today

My great-great uncle, born in 1833

GRAMMAR IN THE MID-19^TH CENTURY AND HOW IT DIFFERS FROM TODAY

Since May of last year, I have been putting together and publishing a magazine titled Worbly’s Family Monthly Magazine. I date each edition 150 years ago, so last month’s magazine was dated August 1866. As I read through books from that time period (and before), I have noticed several interesting things concerning grammar and punctuation. I “correct” them in my magazine so the reader of today will have fewer problems reading the magazine.

Below are a few of the differences in the way they did it back then and how we do it today.

Contractions: Back then, do n’t or is n’t, now don’t or isn’t

Compound words: (they didn’t seem to use them) Back then, any one, now anyone

Open quote marks: Back then, there is a space between the opening quote marks and the first letter of the quote, now there is no extra space

Question marks and Exclamation points: Back then, there was an extra space between the last letter of the sentence and the ? or !. now there is never an extra space after those two punctuation marks

Semi-colon: Back then, there was an extra space in front of a semi-colon, now there is not that extra space.

Not every one of these differences appears in all books. Each book or magazine seems to have its own set of rules. I know that I spend a lot of time in the editing process of putting the magazine together “correcting these “errors.”

If you like things from the 19^th Century, I invite you to take a peek at Worbly’s Magazine. There are over a year’s worth of editions archived here: http://worblysmagazine.com/

By the way, everything in the magazine with the exception of “Manners Matter”, “Letters to the Editor”, a few of the ads, and the tidbit on the front page is right out of books and magazines actually published prior to 1867. So the things in the stories, poems, book chapters, and recipes are things my great-grandparents or my great-great-uncle (like the man in the picture above) might have read.

Blog Editor's Note: Grammarly was used in the editing of this post, so I didn't have to worry about grammatical mistakes. :)