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sense being equal, the historical propriety should decide the question.

ON CERTAIN CONVENTIONAL MODES OF SPELLING.

In

§ 110. In the Greek language the sounds of o in not and of o in note (although allied) are expressed by the unlike signs or letters o and respectively. In most other languages tho difference between the sounds is considered too slight to require for its expression signs so distinct and dissimilar. many, however, it is expressed, and that by some modification. of the original letter. Let the sign denote that the Vowel over which it stands is Long or Independent; while the sign indicates Shortness or Dependence. In such a case, instead of writing not and not, like the Greeks, we may write not and not, the sign serving for a fresh letter.

The English language abounds in Orthographical expedients; the mode of expressing the Quantity of the Vowels being particularly numerous. To begin with these:

1. The reduplication of a Vowel, where there is but one syllable (as in feet, cool), is an orthographical expedient. It merely means that the syllable is Long (or Independent).

2. The juxtaposition of two different vowels, where there is but one syllable (as in plain, moan), is an orthographical expedient. It generally means the same as the reduplication of a Vowel, i. e., that the syllable is Long (Independent).

3. The addition of the e mute, as in plane, whale (whatever may have been its origin), is at present but an orthographical expedient. It denotes the lengthening of the syllable.

4. The reduplication of the Consonant after a Vowel, as in spotted, torrent, is, in most cases, but an orthographical expedient. It merely denotes that the preceding vowel is Short (Dependent).

5. The use of Ph for f in Philip is an orthographical expedient, founded upon etymological reasons.

6. The use of th for the simple sound of the first Consonant in thin and thine, is an orthographical expedient. The combination must be dealt with as a single letter.

X and Q are not so much orthographical expedients as or

thographical compendiums. The above instances have been adduced as illustrations only.

§ 111. The mischief of orthographical expedients is this: When a sign or letter is used in a conventional, it precludes us from using it (at least without further explanation) in its natural sense. Thus the two oo's in mood constitute but one syllable. If in a foreign language we had, immediately succeeding each other, first the syllable mo, and next the syllable od, we should have to spell it mo-od, or mood, or mo-id, &c. Again, it is only by our knowledge of the language that the th in nuthook is not pronounced like the th in burthen. In the language of India, the true sound of t+h is common. This, however, we can not spell naturally, because the combination th conveys to us another notion. Hence such combinations as thh, or t', &c., in writing Hindoo words. A second mischief of orthographical conventionalities is the wrong notions they engender, the eye misleading the ear. That th is t+h, no one would ever have believed but for the spelling.

Elementary sounds, then, in the English language, are expressed, I. By single appropriate elementary signs, as in the words law and bar the first elementary sound in each is represented by the letter l or b. II. By Conventional Expedients.

CHAPTER III.

CLASSIFICATION OF THE ELEMENTARY SIGNS.

§ 112. LETTERS are the Signs or representatives of the elementary sounds. They are classified by the same names as the sounds themselves, viz., Vowels and Consonants.

1. It should be constantly borne in mind that the names of the letters are not the same as the elementary sounds which they represent. Thus the name of the letter m does not enter as an element into the word man when pronounced, but another sound which it represents does. It is true that some

of the name sounds of the vowel letters are the same as the elementary sounds which they represent. Thus the name sound of the letter a is the same as the sound which it represents in the word fate; but it is not the same as that which it represents in all, father, fat, as may be shown by isolating the sound..

113. The VOWELS, that is, the vowel letters, are a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes w and y. A, o, u, and w represent the broad vowel sounds; e, i, and y the small vowel sounds.

§ 114. The CONSONANTS, that is, the consonant letters, are pb, fv, t d, k g, s z; h; l, m, n, r ; j, c, q, x, and sometimes w and y. Here we have, first, the representatives of the Cognate sounds; then the Aspirate h; thirdly, the Liquids, l, m, n, r; finally, the double letter j, with the redundant signs c, q, and x.

The Consonants, likewise, have been classified according to the organs by which they are produced, whether chiefly by the lips, the teeth, or the palate. B, p, f, v, and m have been called Labials. D, t, s, z, j, g, when equivalent to j, and c when equivalent to s, Dentals. K, g, r, l, q, and c, when equivalent to k, Palatals. K and g are sometimes called Gutturals.

S and z are also called Sibilants, from the hissing noise attending their production. M and n are also called Nasals, from their relation to the nose. L and are sometimes called Linguals.

§ 115. A DIPHTHONG is two vowel letters joined in one syllable, as ea in eagle, oi in voice.

1. A Proper Diphthong is a diphthong in which both of the vowels are sounded, as oi in voice.

2. An Improper Diphthong, or Digraph, is a diphthong in which only one of the vowels are sounded, as ea in beat.

§ 116. A TRIPHTHONG, or Trigraph, is three vowel letters joined in one syllable, as eau in beau, uoy in buoy.

CHAPTER IV.

THE RELATIONS OF THE LETTERS TO THE ELE-
MENTARY SOUNDS.

VOWEL LETTERS.

A.

§ 117. A REPRESENTS four elementary sounds, namely, the First, Second, Third, and Fourth. See Table of Elementary Sounds, § 61.

1. The ancient or Italian sound, as in father, which is slightly modified in certain combinations, as in pass, dance. 2. The Short sound, as in mat. This is sometimes described as the short sound of the Italian a. Sound, as in fate, which is modified when in combination with 3. The Long or slender 4. The Broad sound, as in fall,

the Liquid r, as in care.

which is shortened in what.

The short sound of a in late is represented by e, as in let. In the words any, many, and says, a has the short sound usu ally represented by e. In unaccented syllables the sounds represented by a are often not distinguishable from the sounds represented by some other vowel letters. ed, has the sound of a in father. A final, unaccent

As in other languages, so in the English, the sound of a interchanges with o. In Old English, the forms hond and strond occur instead of hand and strand. brad, stan, correspond to the English forms broad, stone. The In Anglo-Saxon, a in salt was pronounced like a in fat, before it was pronounced, as at present, like o in not. The change from a to o takes place most especially before the 7, as wall, call. When the Liquid 7 is followed by another Consonant, the I is generally sunk in the pronunciation, as falcon, salmon, pronounced fau

con, sammon.

The in

A in the German language has but one sound. convenience of having so many sounds represented by a single letter is partly removed by the use of marks, as in Webster's and Worcester's Dictionaries. Each mark serves the purpose

of an original letter. It can not be expected that these marks will generally be adopted in printing. It is not advisable to increase the variety of sounds represented by a single letter, as some are inclined to do.

E, an Improper Diphthong, is equivalent to long e, as in Casar, and sometimes to short e, as in cætera.

Ai, an Improper Diphthong, is equivalent to long a, as in sail, and sometimes to short e, as in said.

Au, an Improper Diphthong, is equivalent to broad a, as in cause, and sometimes to the Italian a, as in aunt, and to a

in gauge.

Aw, an Improper Diphthong, is equivalent to broad a, as in

maw.

Ay, a Proper Diphthong in the word ay, is elsewhere an improper diphthong, and is equivalent to long a, as in day..

E.

E represents two elementary sounds, the Fifth and the Sixth. 1. The Long sound, as in mete. 2. The Short sound, as in met.

It sometimes is equivalent to long a, as in there, and to short e, as in her, and to short i, as in England.

Before 1, in the final unaccented syllable, it is sometimes mute, as in shekel, pronounced shek'l, and sometimes sounded as in chapel. Before n, in the final unaccented syllable, it is sometimes mute, as in heaven, pronounced heav'n, and sometimes sounded, as in kitchen. In unaccented syllables, e has sometimes the sound of u, as in suffer, and sometimes the sound of e is suppressed, as in words like cherries, married, pronounced cherris, marrid.

The long sound of e is strictly the long sound of i in pit, and the short sound of e is strictly the short sound of a in late.

The e mute, in words like cone, robe, serves to denote the length of the preceding vowel. For this purpose it is retained, but it was not for this purpose that it was invented. Originally it expressed a sound; and it is only by a change of language that it has come, as it were by accident, to be an orthographical expedient. E is always mute at the end. of words, except monosyllables, which have no other vowels;

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