Choral (English chorale), and as, using contrary means for the same end of fixing a sound, we have turned French diplomate into English diplomat.  Our English forte (’Geniality is not his forte,’ &c.) is altered from the French fort without even the advantage of either keeping the French sound or distinguishing the spoken word from our fort; but who proposes to sacrifice the reader’s convenience by correcting the ‘ignorant’ spelling?  In the light of these parallels is it not the patrons of moral who deserve the imputation of ignorance rather than we common folk?  We do not indeed profess to know what moral and morale mean in French, but then that knowledge is irrelevant.  They do not know the true English method of dealing with borrowings from French; and that knowledge is highly relevant.

A fair summary of the matter is perhaps this.  The case for the spelling moral is that (1) the French use the word moral for what we used to call morale, and therefore we ought to do the same; and (2) the French use morale to mean something different from what we mean by it.  The case against moral is (1) that it is a new word, less comprehensible to ordinary people, even now, after its war-time currency, than the old morale; (2) that it badly needs to be dressed in italics owing to the occasional danger of confusion with the English word moral, and that such artificial precautions are never kept up; (3) that half of us do not know whether to call it m[)o]’ral, mor[)a]’l, or morah’l, and that it is a recognized English custom to resolve such doubts by the addition of _-e_ or other change of spelling.  And the right choice is surely to make the English word morale, use ordinary type, call it morah’l, and ignore or abstain from the French word morale, of which we have no need.

The risk of confusion, merely mentioned above, perhaps deserves a paragraph to itself.  If we reinstate the once almost universal morale, we need no italics, and there is no fear of confusion; if we adopt moral, we need italics, and there is no hope of getting them; it is at present printed oftener without than with them.  The following five extracts, in some of which the English adjective moral, and in some the French noun moral, is meant, are printed here exactly as they originally appeared, that is, with moral in the same type as the rest, and they are enough to suggest how easy it is for real doubts to arise about which word is being used—­’An astounding increase in the moral discipline and patriotism of German soldiers.’  Has, or has not, a comma dropped out after moral?  ’It is, indeed, a new proof of the failing moral and internal troubles of the German people.’  Moral and internal? or moral and troubles?  ’A true arbitrator, a man really impartial between two contendants and even indifferent to their opposing morals.’  ’The Russian army will recover its moral and fighting power.’  ’The need of Poland, not only for moral, but for the material support of the Allies.’