Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 09.djvu/265

LEFT T T, t, the 20th letter and the 16th con- sonant of the English alphabet, is a sharp, mute, consonant, and closely al- lied to d, both being dentals. It is formed by pressing the tip of the tongue closely against the root of the upper teeth, and differs from d only in being non-vocal, while d is uttered with the voice. T followed by h in the same syl- lable has two distinct sounds; the one surd or breathed, as in think, thank, thought; the other sonant, or vocal, as in this, that, though. Ti before a vowel, and unaccented, usually passes into sh, as in nation, portion, partial, which are pronounced nashon, porshon, parshal. When s or X precedes ti, the t retains its proper sound, as in question, though be- fore u it is often softened into ch (as in church), as also is such words as mix- ture, posture, etc. In accordance with Grimm's law, t in English (as also in Dutch, Icelandic, Gothic, etc.) is repre- sented in Latin, Greek and Sanskrit by d, and in German by s or z. Thus Eng- lish tooth (for tonth)=Latin de7is (gen- itive dentis), Greek odous (genitive od- ontos), Sanskrit dant, German zahn, Old High German za^id; English heart=:Lat- in cor (genitive cordis), Greek kardia, Sanskrit kridaya, German herza; Eng- lish eat=Latin edo, Greek edd, Sanskrit ad, Old High German ezan, German er- sen. If the t is preceded by s, this rule does not apply, as in English stand= Latin sto, Greek histemi, German steh-en. Th in English, etc., is represented in Latin, Greek, and Sanskrit by t, and in German by d; thus, English thou=Latin tn, Greek tu, Sanskrit tvam, German du, English three=Latin tres, Greek Treis, Sanskrit t7-i. Old High German dri, Ger- man drei. In a few instances t in Eng- lish represents an 1 in Latin, as in tear (s.)=Latin lacrima. T has crept in (1) after s, as in behest, amongst, against, amidst, whilst, betwixt; (2) in tyrant= Old French tiran, Latin tyrannies; parch- ment=01d French parchemin; cor- morant = French cormoran ; ancient = French ancien; pheasant=01d French p}iaisa7i. Th represents an original d in hither, thither, whether, faith =i01d French feid, Latin fides. T is often doubled in the middle of words, occasionally at the end, as in butt, mitt. T is often used to denote things of the shape of the capital letter; T-bandage, T-square, etc. T, as a symbol, is used ia numerals for 160, and with a stroke over it for 160,000. ^ Marked with a t ; a thief, an expres- sion equivalent to the trim literarum hovw of Plautus. The English phrase derives its force from the fact that thieves were formerly branded in the hand with the letter T. To a t : Exactly ; to a nicety ; with the utmost exactness; as, that fits me to a t TABANIDJE, the horse fly family, comprising large dipterous insects, which in the female have a proboscis inclosing six sharp lancets, and in the male four; the eyes are very large and cover nearly the whole head; thorax oblong, and ab- domen triangular. They are notorious for their attacks on horses and cattle, piercing them, sucking their blood, and causing them great pain. TABASCO, a gulf state of Mexico, named from a river running into Cam- peche Bay; area 10,374 square miles; pop. about 194,000. The surface is gen- erally flat except in the S. part, and the soil is fertile, producing a fine variety of coffee. Capital, San Juan Bautista. TABERNACLE, a slightly constructed temporary building or habitation ; a tent, a pavilion. Figuratively, a temple; a place of worship; a sacred place; speci- fically, the sacred tent built by Moses and maintained as the central place of worship for Israel till Solomon built the temple. Also, the human frame as the temporary abode of the soul. In Jewish antiquities, more fully de- nominated Tabernacle of the Congrega- 221 Cyc — Vol. IX