Page:Critical Pronouncing Dictionary (Walker, 4th edition, London, 1806).pdf/29

Rh

. Two vowels forming but one syllable are generally called a diphthong, and three a triphthong: these are the following:

. The consonants are divisible into mutes, semi-vowels, and liquids.

. The mutes are such as emit no sound without a vowel, as b, p, t, d, k, and c and g hard.

. The semi-vowels are such as emit a sound without the concurrence of a vowel, as f, v, s, z, x, g soft or j.

. The liquids are such as flow into, or unite easily with the mutes, as l, m, n, r.

. But, besides these, there is another classification of the consonants, of great importance to a just idea of the nature of the letters, and that is, into such as are sharp or flat, and simple or aspirated.

. The sharp consonants are, p, f, t, s, k, c hard.

. The flat consonants are, b, v, d, z, g hard.

. The simple consonants are those which have always the sound of one letter unmixed with others, as b, p, f, v, k, g hard, and g soft, or j.

. The mixed or aspirated consonants are those which have sometimes a hiss or aspiration joined with them, which mingles with the letter, and alters its sound, as t in motion, d in soldier, s in mission, and z in azure.

. There is another distinction of consonants arising either from the seat of their formation, or from those organs which are chiefly employed in forming them. The best distinction of this kind seems to be that which divides them into labials, dentals, gutturals, and nasals.

. The labials are, b, p, v, f. The dentals are, t, d, s, z, and soft g or j. The gutturals are, k, q, c hard, and g hard. The nasals are, m, n, and ng.

. These several properties of the consonants may be exhibited at one view in the following table, which may be called

. Vowels and consonants being thus defined and arranged, we are the better enabled to enter upon an enquiry into their different powers, as they are differently combined with each other. But previous to this, that nothing may be wanting to form a just idea of the first principles of pronunciation, it may not be improper to show she organic formation of each letter.

. Though I think every mechanical account of the organic formation of the letters rather curious than useful, yet, that nothing which can be presented to the eye may be wanting to inform the ear, I shall in this follow those who have been at the pains to trace every letter to its seat, and make us, as it were, to touch the sounds we articulate.

. It will be necessary to observe, that there are three long sounds of the letter a, which are formed by a greater or less expansion of the internal parts of the mouth.

. The German a, heard in ball, wall, etc. is formed by a strong and grave expression of the breath through the mouth, which is open nearly in a circular form, while the tongue, contracting itself to the root, as if to make way for the sound, almost rests upon the under jaw.

. The Italian a, heard in father, closes the mouth a little more than the German a; and by raising the lower jaw, widening the tongue, and advancing it a little nearer to the lips, renders its sound less hollow and deep.

. The slender a, or that heard in lane, is formed in the mouth still higher than the last; and in pronouncing it, the lips, as if to give it a slender sound, dilate their aperture horizontally; while the tongue, to assist this narrow emission of breath, widens itself to the cheeks, raises itself nearer the palate, and by theses means a less hollow sound than either of the former is produced.

. The e in e-qual is formed by dilating the tongue a little more, and advancing it nearer to the palate and the lips, which produces the slenderest vowel in the language; for the tongue is, in the formation of this letter, as close to the palate as possible, without touching it; as the moment