Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

r, are still longer under that circumstance, and the pronunciation is the same whether the spelling indicates two syllables or only one. Form, a bench, is distinguished from form, shape.

āre, ere, ire, ore, ure, oor, ower.

dare fair bear there ne'er heir-here mere cheer deer fear near bier tier-fire hire lyre pyre choir buyer -more oar pour door port

form floor sewer

-pure cure ewer newer fewer your-poor boor moor tour sure brewer hour scour flour power shower flower.

Vowels which would have their shut sounds if a decided consonant followed, necessarily remain open when followed by the smooth or vowel r. O and u, under this circumstance, have open sounds exactly corresponding with their shut sounds; but a has an open sound broader than its shut sound, being, in fact, the sound ah followed by r. Er and ir are pronounced by unpolished speakers just like ur, as indeed, in some common words, such as her, sir, &c. they are pronounced even by the most cultivated: but in words of less common occurrence, there is a medium between ur and air, which elegant usage has established as the just utterance of e and i joined to the smooth r.

ar.

bar star arm barb mart are clerk heart hearth c'ar c'ard g'uard.

er.

err erst term irk mirth g'irt g'irl myrrh earl pearl earn earth dearth heard hearse learn were ere-merchant nervous vernal derby virgin virtue early learning.

or.

or for orb form gorge chord war warm dwarf

quart-border dormant orphan warbler warden quarter-performance important.

ur.

fur cur burn turf furl her hers sir stir bird third spirt-burnish curtain colonel journey.

When r, finishing one syllable, also begins the next, it requires its rough or consonant sound, and shuts the preceding vowel as any other consonant would do: Examples: tarry, marry, arid, (pronounced arrid,) charity, (pronounced charrity,) berry, peril, (pronounced perril,) spirit, (pronounced spirrit,), miracle, (pronounced mirracle,) torrid, florid, (pronounced florrid,) hurry, curry. Among words of these classes, there are some irregularities: squirrel and panegyric are pronounced as if written squerril and panegerric, and syrup as if written surrup.

[These remarks conclude what was to be offered on the subject of vowels under the accent.]

The Vowel sounds in unaccented Syllables.

It has been justly observed that "nothing more distinguishes a person of a good from one of a mean education, than the pronunciation of the unaccented vowels." Some of the vowels in unaccented syllables, are indefinite and obscure, and it would be vulgar pedantry to give them the distinctness of accented vowels. Others are obscure only among vulgar speakers, and are pronounced neatly and distinctly by the polite, although, in many instances with a decided change of sound.-Letter a, final in a syllable, in such a situation as to have had its alphabetical sound had it been accented, sinks into an easier sound when pronounced without accent, a sound resembling ur but without the r, and which may be called ah, obscure:-the article a takes this sound when in composition; as a book, a chair :-this is likewise the sound of o' contracted from of; as in the phrase, what's o'clock? and also the sound of e in the, if it come before a consonant, as in saying the book, the chair. Letter e final in a syllable, and unaccented, does not sustain any corruption of its alphabetical sound, but though shortened, pre

D

serves its distinctness; letter i, in the same situation, generally fore goes its own alphabetical sound, and takes that of e; but there are many exceptions; letter o and letter u, in the same situation, preserve their alphabetical sounds.-Among the examples will be found, as in other places, syllables which irregularly assume the sounds exemplified.

Unaccented ah, (obscure.)

abase abound baboon cabal-data comma villa china umbrella banana diploma enig

ma.

Unaccented e, (short, but distinct.)

eject esteem become believe divest divorce dilute finance- -dirty lately sunday medley journey plaguy-appetite benefice simile recipe systole parliament miniature prophecy-civility didacity rigidity vicinity vivacity epitome penelope catastrophe geography geometry.

Unaccented i, (distinct.)

idea hiatus diurnal bidental climacter nigrescent citation primeval-qualify occupy multiply prophesyirascible itinerant bipennated biography hypotenuse cibarious cilicious piratical diameter rivality.

Unaccented o, (distinct.)

motto hero solo salvo thorough furlough sorrow barrow fellow window-profane romance obey

procure- -advocate absolute crocodile opposite obsolete syllogism-coherent domestic opinion tobacco-oracular original philosophy philology.

Unaccented u, (distinct.)

bureau usurp fusee humane-ague statue virtue rescueaugury emulate masculine monument genuine obdurate residue avenue.

Vowels followed by a consonant and final e mute, and which would accordingly have had their alphabetical sounds, had they been under the accent, in most instances retain those sounds when unaccented; as in dedicate, obsolete, appetite, telescope, latitude; but at other times they are reduced into shut sounds, as the student will find in many of the examples under the unaccented i shut. And vowels that would have had their regular shut sounds if under the accent, often change them for other shut sounds:-thus a shut often becomes u shut; e shut becomes i shut; and o shut, u shut: while e, i and o before l and n are frequently dropped entirely; as in swivel, raven, evil, cousin, bacon. Care must however be taken, that these authorized negligences are carried no further than good usage prescribes; a caution which several of the words in the following exercises under e, i, and o, will enable the pupil to carry into practice. As to all those final unaccented syllables, in which a vowel is followed by smooth r without final e mute, they are sounded alike, whatever may be the vowel, with the exception of a few classical words scarcely naturalized, such as calor, stupor, &c. in which or are pronounced distinctly.

[ocr errors]

Unaccented a shut, (obscure.)

husband verbal combat- -abjure admit baptise instantly penalty valiantly temperance

countenance nobleman.

Unaccented e shut, (distinct.)

goodness anthem silent strengthnedst counsel

novel model vessel sudden chicken aspen ticken -dividend providence decency-engraver enlighten enchanting.

Unaccented i shut, (distinct.)

bevil pencil pupil council urchin latin marriage carriage village courage furnace wallace biscuit conduit lettuce women se'nnight servile docile bodice plaintive poet linen helmet housewife boxes muses prices captain wassail mountain forfeit foreign beauties pities marries pitied married -cowardice benefice juvenile diastyle maritime cymbeline infinite counterfeit sovereign handkerchief dignities falsities obsequies novelties.

Unaccented o shut, (obscure.)

command conduce complete-postilion combustion conjecture.

Unaccented u shut, (obscure.)

hubbub cherub gamut surplus mammoc parrot blossom nation felon demon tenon sermon waggon mucous pious factious vacuum occiput unison myrmidon skeleton covetousdecorum decision horison herbaceous umbrageous ambitious.

« AnteriorContinuar »