Orthography Part 28

While in the ill.u.s.trations here given the syllables formed for one purpose are very different from those formed for the other, yet in the majority of words the resulting syllables are the same whether divided for one purpose or for the other.

In the United States the prevailing purpose of syllabication is to indicate p.r.o.nunciation.

The ULTIMATE syllable of a word is the last (_ultimus_ = last); the PENULTIMATE is next to the last (_pen_ = almost); the ANTEPENULTIMATE is the third from the last (literally, _before almost_ the _last_); the PREANTEPENULTIMATE is the fourth from the last (literally, _before_ the one that is _before_ the one _almost last_).

#[Second Month.]#

ACCENT.

ACCENT is stress of voice on a particular syllable in p.r.o.nouncing a word.

In long words two, and sometimes three, syllables are accented. But one syllable is always accented more strongly than the others are. The stronger accent is called the PRIMARY accent, the weaker is called the SECONDARY. Thus, in _am' mu ni' tion_ the primary accent falls on the third syllable and the secondary on the first.

The "PRINCIPLES" which govern the placing of accent are complicated.

The International Dictionary says there are no principles by which to determine the accent in English. Another high authority says: "All attempts to a.s.sign rules for the place of the accent in English only serve to render the subject hopelessly intricate and confounded."

There are, however, certain _tendencies_ which mature pupils might profitably consider, but the limited scope of this book will not permit me to attempt to set them forth.

In the words of the following list the accent changes with a change of meaning. When nouns or adjectives these words are accented on the first syllable; when verbs, on the second:

abstract accent compound conflict concert contract contrast converse convict desert escort export ferment forecast frequent incense insult permit prefix present produce project record survey

#[Third Month.]#

WORDS.

A WORD is a sign of an idea. It may be either spoken or written.

A PRIMITIVE, OR ROOT, word is one not derived from any other word of the language; as, _fix_, _strike_, _man_.

A DERIVATIVE is a word formed from a primitive by changing it internally, or by adding a prefix or suffix; as, _men_, _suffix_, _strikers_.

A SIMPLE WORD is a single word. It may be either primitive or derivative.

A COMPOUND WORD is a combination of two or more simple words; as, buck-saw, well-behaved, school-room.

A word of one syllable is a _monosyllable_ (mono = one); of two syllables, a _dissyllable_ (dis = two); of three syllables, a _trisyllable_ (tri = three); of three or more syllables, a _polysyllable_ (poly = many).

The ROOT of a word is its fundamental or elementary part which carries the primitive notion or significance with it, without prefix or suffix; as, _ge_ (earth), _graph_ (write), _vol_ (wish).

A PREFIX is a significant syllable joined to the beginning of a word; as, _auto_graph, _circ.u.m_vent, _amphi_theater.

A SUFFIX is a significant syllable joined to the end of a word; as, man _ly_, fert _ile_, ment _ion_.

AFFIX is a general term for prefixes and suffixes; it may be applied to either or to both together.

SEVENTH YEAR.

#[Fifth Month.]#

SILENT LETTERS.

Silent letters have at least four uses:

1. To modify sounds of other letters in the same syllable.

Drop final silent _e_ from such words as the following and note the effect on the sound of the other vowel in the same syllable: _bare_, _pure_, _ripe_, _lame_.

2. To indicate p.r.o.nunciation.

In the four words last given, for ill.u.s.tration, the p.r.o.nunciation changes when the final silent _e_ is dropped.

Another cla.s.s of words ending in _ce_ and _ge_ retain the final silent _e_ on adding a suffix beginning with _a_ or _o_ to preserve the soft sound of _c_ and _g_, and with it the correct p.r.o.nunciation of the word; as, _serviceable_, _noticeable_, _changeable_, _courageous_.

3. To show the meaning of words.

Ill.u.s.trations: _clime_, _climb_, _plumb_, _belle_, _b.u.t.t_, _dyeing_, _singeing_, _guilt_, _d.a.m.n_.

4. To show the derivation of words.

Numerous ill.u.s.trations are found in words derived from the Greek. In _chronic_, and _chronology_, the _h_ is silent, but serves to indicate that the root of those words is identical with the Greek root _chron_, which means _time_. Similarly the _g_ in _gnostic_, the _e_ in _eulogy_, _p_ in _pneumonia_, the _h_ in _chromatic_.

In _honour_ and _favour_ _u_ is silent, and therefore a useless letter, so far as sound is concerned. The _u_ signifies that the word came to us through the French, instead of directly from the Latin. The question is, whether we shall go to the trouble of writing the extra letter in a large cla.s.s of such words for the sake of the historical a.s.sociation. Perhaps one in a thousand would choose to do so, but others of us are more intent on saving time and ink. When the spelling reform idea becomes operative with English speaking people, a great many silent letters will go the way of the _u_ in _labour_, _favour_, and the like.

The following are some of the numerous cla.s.ses of silent letters together with the principle found to be operative through them.

#[Sixth Month.]#

"_E_ final is silent when preceded by another vowel in the same syllable."

change sense adverse Chinese condense brace quite bade oppose deceive force scribe burlesque embrace machine crease measure canine emerge endorse cease absolve caprice examine advise

#[Seventh Month.]#

"_B_ is usually silent before _t_ or after _m_ in the same syllable."

lamb tomb numb debt bomb comb thumb dumb doubt crumb limb climb plumb redoubt jamb

#[Eighth Month.]#