Page:The New Latin Primer (Postgate).djvu/127

Rh § 254. —R is to be rolled or trilled as in French, more strongly than in Eng. herring. Special attention is required when it is followed by a consonant, and when it stands at the end of a word. Both the r and the preceding vowel must be pronounced distinctly.

CH, TH, PH, are to be pronounced as k, t, p, followed by h as ink-horn, cat-head, tap-house, or if this is found too difficult, they may be pronounced as k, t, p simply.

N (& M) when standing before 'c, g, q, is to be pronounced as ng in sing.

CI, TI are to be pronounced as kee, tee, not as shie.

In pronouncing doubled consonants, each should be given distinctly. Thus pennīs should be pronounced pen-neece like pen(k)nife, vellĕt as well-let, vittīs as wit-teece, like coat-tails.

Thus only can we distinguish mannŭs a nag from manŭs a hand, mollis soft from molis you grind.

§ 255. —The quantity of vowels must always be most carefully given. Two faults are to be specially avoided:

(1) Avoid Shortening of Unaccented long vowels. Thus pronounce the Dative Singular of fēlix happy as fē-lī-cī, not fĕlīcĭ; pronounce the Dative Plural of mŏlă a mill as mŏ-līs, not as mŏlĭs you grind.

(2) Avoid Lengthening of Accented short vowels. Pronounce cĭ-bŭs not sigh-bus, să-crō not sake-row, scĭ-ŏ not sigh-o.

A vowel before two consonants is generally to be pronounced short as in ĕstis you are; but sometimes long as fēstus festal. A vowel is always long before ns, nf and gn; also before x, ct when they come from gs, gt, and before ps, pt, when they come from bs, bt; as, rēxi, rēctus; scrīpsī, scrīptus.

Final vowels and final -m preceded by a vowel, were very slightly pronounced if the next word began with a vowel or h. In this position they are said to be "cut off," and are not counted in verse. Thus iliā undā is scanned as if ill' undā, māgnum hŏmĭnem as if māgn' hŏmĭnem.