Page:Latin for beginners (1911).djvu/28

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10.

Divide the words in the following passage into syllables and pronounce them, placing the accent as indicated:

Vā&#769;dĕ ăd fŏrmī&#769;căm, Ō pĭ&#769;gĕr, ĕt cōnsī&#769;dĕrā vĭ&#769;ās ĕ&#769;iŭs ĕt dĭ&#769;scĕ săpĭĕ&#769;ntĭăm: quae cŭm nōn hắbĕăt dŭ&#769;cĕm nĕc praecĕptṓrĕm nĕc prī&#769;ncĭpĕm, pắrăt ĭn aestā&#769;tĕ cĭ&#769;bŭm sĭ&#769;bĭ ĕt cŏ&#769;ngrĕgăt ĭn mĕ&#769;ssĕ quŏd cŏ&#769;mĕdăt.

[Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: which, having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer and gathereth her food in the harvest.]

11. The quantity of a vowel or a syllable is the time it takes to pronounce it. Correct pronunciation and accent depend upon the proper observance of quantity.

12. Quantity of Vowels. Vowels are either long ( ¯ ) or short ( ˘ ). In this book the long vowels are marked. Unmarked vowels are to be considered short.


 * 1. A vowel is short before another vowel or h ; as pŏ-ē'-ta, tră'-hō.


 * 2. A vowel is short before nt and nd, before final m or t, and, except in words of one syllable, before final l or r. Thus a'-mănt, a-măn'-dus, a-mā'-băm, a-mā'-băt, a'-ni-măl, a'-mŏr.


 * 3. A vowel is long before nf, ns, nx, and nct. Thus īn'-fe-rō, re'-gēns, sān'-xī, sānc'-tus.


 * 4. Diphthongs are always long, and are not marked.

13. Quantity of Syllables. Syllables are either long or short, and their quantity must be carefully distinguished from that of vowels.


 * 1. A syllable is short,


 * a. If it ends in a short vowel; as ă'-mō, pĭ'-grī.

. In final syllables the short vowel may be followed by a final consonant. Thus the word mĕ-mŏ'-rĭ-ăm contains four short syllables. In the first three a short vowel ends the syllable, in the last the short vowel is followed by a final consonant.