Blurb:

In this chapter, the author surveys this experiences of the many languages that have undergone reforms, some cautious, a few revolutionary. Deliberately planned changes have brought the spelling of several European languages into closer harmony with speech, but the motives of the reformers have not always been benign. Political antagonisms have sometimes been more important than linguistic good sense in encouraging reforms. He argues that reforms that have been successful should give us hope, but the outrage that has so often met reform proposals should also make us cautious.