4 DECEMBER 1926, Page 15

AMERICAN ENGLISH [To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] Sra,—In Mr.

-St. John Ervine's very interesting letter on this topic in your issue of last week he suggests- that the American affirmative " yah " is a corruption of the word " yes." I am inclined to doubt this. I think it rather a survival of the old English " yea," which, although pronounced nowadays " yey," was undoubtedly pronounced in Shake- speare's time as a diphthong—" yehah." An American friend of mine, a native of one of the Old England States, always pronounced it in this way, *giving the " c " the Old English sound of the French " 6," and the " a" the pure. vowel sound.—I am, Sir, &c., . ERNEST LAW; The Pavilion,' Hampton Court Palace.