Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World (Oct-Dec 1928)

December 22, 1928 EXHIBITORS HERALD and MOVING PICTURE WORLD 17 Some of the Names Suggested PROF. A. H. ESPENSHADE Pennsylvania State College SUGGESTS— In response to your reque-t of December T, I am not at all ?ure that I can suggest a useful or acceptable word. The task you set is not an easy one. In the first place, let me say that nothing which you or I or anyone else can do or say will stop the new locution "talkie." That new word, of popular and impromptu and undignified coinage, just suits the popular ta^te. It is as exact a fit as the word "movie," and — I venture to guess-it will be ju>t as popular. So much by way of prophecy. We must not forget that in all ages and in all lands it is the people, and not the scholars, who make language; and for the most part, the plain people coin the word and phra-es that stick. Scholars may decide, widely or unwi-ely, on "cinema," or "kineoscope" or "kinetograph," or "kineophonograph," but the public taste for some term that i -imple. pungent, undignified, and half-jocose, like "movie" or "talkie," will perpetrate its little verbal jokes in spite of our best efforts and intentions. .Now, consider the word Kinetophonograph. already in existence and li:ted in the Unabridged Standard Dictionary. From the standpoint of the lexicographer and the stymologist it is a perfect fit: but tinpublic will never take to it because it is a long, "high-brow word." That fact condemns or ha condemned the word; hence it is still-born: and most of the new coinage that will be submitted to you are destined to meet the same fate. — Mine perhaps among the number. "Vitaphone," which I suppose is a trade name, i a barbari-m from the standpoint of lingui-tic formation, being half-Latin and half-Greek. Popular taste cares nothing for that fact, and it is an undoubted fart that many similar barbari.-ms have won a permanent place in the language. I understand that \ou want a term that is dignified, euphoniou-. fairly short, and not formed in gross violation of linguistic propriety. My best suggestion i PHOTOPHONE. So far a I know, it is my own coinage. I have never seen or heard the word. It perfectly meets all the requirements I have named except the last. Linguistically it is not above a little carping criticism. To be sure, it is wholl> Greek in its origin; but it take advantage of the fact that the clipped form PHOTO is popularly accepted as an equivalent of "photograph;" "phone"' is the Greek word for "sound, or voice." Further, there is no conjunction between the two part-. The purists, I suppose would object to it; they object to nearly anything in the wa> of a new word. But from every standpoint, it i the be^t word I can think of. P. S.: Since writing my letter I have discovered, by referring to Webster's New International Dictionary, that "photophone" is not a new word at all. having been -ugge-ted some year?, ago by Alexander Graham Bell for the contrivance now known as the "radiophone." * * * PROF. NORMAN FOESTER [ niversitv of North Carolina SUGGESTS— My coinage is: pictovox. This is on the analogy of the word pictograph. It means, of course, picture-voice. The adjeclivr form would be pictovocal. * * * PROF. J. C. PRESCOTT Cornell I niversitv SUGGESTS— I suggest that you let the people name the new picture with dialogue to suit themselves. They always make up a better name than the language experts, because they do it imaginatively and poetically in-tead of intellectually. The English and European word Cinema i short for cinematograph) is not, in my opinion, as good as our "movie," and I should not have supposed that the word had ever been a "handicap" to the elevation of the motion picture art. I should have thought it expressed a familiar and affectionate attitude that would be favorable. '"Talkie" is obviously not so good, being secondhand, so to speak, from the other. But even this might be better than "cinematophone" or "speaking-picture" or a similar madeup word. * * * PROF. EDWARD E. HALE Union College, New York SUGGESTS— Your inquiry as to an appropriate name to describe the motion picture with audible dialogue appears to me very interesting. I should say that such a name was very desirable, indeed, that it would be a very valuable property. People doubtless will continue to call them "Talkies" unless some better term is suggested. Unfortunately, I have very little gift in that direction, I have suggested several names, slogans, and so on, but never any that have attracted attention. I am afraid that even if I gave some time and thought to the subject I should not produce anything worth while. * * * PROF. ALFRED E. RICHARDS L niversity of New Hampshire SUGGESTS— I was greatly interested in your letter of December 1, in which you asked for suggestions regarding a proper and dignified term for the dialogue motion picture. Perhaps you will consider the term phonofilm (or fonofilm). Etymologically it means, of course, "Voice-film" or "sound-film." For the same meaning (voice-film), the pure English compound would be stefnfilm ; but that is a hard word to pronounce. On the whole, I think that the half Greek, half English word "phonofilm" (or fonofilm) may have more to commend it than any other term I can -uggest. * * * CHARLES J. GIEGERICH Poivers Cinephone SUGGESTS— The HERALD-ff ORLD appeal to save the sound picture from the vulgarian classification of "Talkie" voices a need which cannot be too strongly impressed upon the industry. The silent drama rose superior to the term "Movie" by the ■iheer force of its art. In the process of its refinement the silent picture dignified its undignified appellation, but this furnishes no reason to believe that the sound picture will rise above the low category implied by the word "Talkie." Certainly tie should not deliberately handicap the new expression for art. at its very start, by an inartistic expression. In a story sent out last week announcing a series of short subjects to be made by Powers Cinephone, I used a coined word: "Cineoral" to denote the subjects as dialogue pictures. This term is submitted for consideration. It is derived from the English colloquialism "Cinema" as applied to the motion picture, and the word "orul" pertaining to spoken words. "Cineoral" therefore means the motion picture with sound and dialogue. It is suggested as a word closely associated with present trade terms. It is euphonious used in the singular or plural and may be applied to productions or a program of sound pictures. A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR