Page:The grammar of Dionysios Thrax.djvu/10

6 consonants, eight are Semivowels,, , , , , , ,. They are called semivowels because, being less easily sounded than the vowels, when attempted to be pronounced alone, they result in hisses and mumblings. There are nine Mutes,, , , , , , , ,. They are called mutes because they are more disagreeable in sound than the others, just as we say that a tragedian with a disagreeable voice is mute (ἄφωνος = voiceless). Of these, three are smooth,, , ; three are rough, , , , and three are medial, , ,. The last are called medials because they are rougher than the smooths, and smoother than the roughs. And is the medial between  and,  between  and , and  between  and. The roughs stand related to the smooths thus:


 * to —
 * to —
 * to —

Again, of the consonants, three are double,, ,. They are called double because each one of them is composed of two consonants, of  and,  of  and ,  of  and. Four are unchangeable. They are called unchangeable because they do not change in the futures of verbs or the inflections of nouns. They are likewise called liquids. The final elements of masculine nouns, in the nominative case, singular number, are five,, , , , , as , , , , ); of feminine nouns, eight, , , , , , , , , as , , , , , , , ; of neuters, six, , , , , , , as , , , , , . Some add also , as in , , . The final elements of duals are three, , , , as , , ; of plurals, four, , , , , as , , ,.

(συλλαβή).

A Syllable is properly the combination of a vowel with a