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The English Grammar.

CHAP. I.

OF GRAMMAR, and the Parts.

*Grammar is the art of true and wellspeaking a language: the writing is but an Accident.

The parts of Grammar are

which is

the true notation of words.

the right ordering

of them.

Etymology,t Syntax, A word is a part of speech, or note, whereby a thing is known, or called; and consisteth of one or more syllabes.

§ A syllabe is a perfect sound in a word, and consisteth of one or more letters.

A letter is an indivisible part of a syllabe, whose prosody, ¶ or right sounding is perceived by the power; the orthography, or right writing, by the form.

**Prosody and orthography, are not parts of grammar, but diffused like the blood and spirits through the whole.

*Ful. Cæsar Scaliger. de caus. Ling. Lat. Grammatici unus finis est rectè loqui. Neque necesse habet scribere. Accidit enim scriptura voci, neque aliter scribere debemus, quàm loquamur.-Ramus in definit. pag. 30.

Grammatica est ars benè loquendi.

Veteres, ut Varro, Cicero, Quinctilianus, Etymologiam in notatione vocum statuêre. Dictionis natura prior est, posterior orationis. Ex usu veterum Latinorum, Vox, pro dictione scriptâ accipitur: quoniam vox esse possit. Est articulata, quæ scripto excipi, atque exprimi valeat: inarticulata, quæ non. Articulata vox dicitur, quâ genus humanum utitur distinctim, à cæteris animalibus, quæ muta vocantur: non, quòd sonum non edant; sed quia soni eorum nullis exprimantur propriè literarum notis.-Smithus de rectâ, et emend. L. Latin script.

§ Syllaba est elementum sub accentu.Scalig., lib. 2.

Litera est pars dictionis indivisibilis. Nam quamquam sunt literæ quædam duplices, una tamen tantùm litera est, sibi quæque sonum unum certum servans.-Scalig.

Et Smithus, ibid. Litera pars minima vocis articulatæ.

Natura literæ tribus modis intelligitur;

CHAP. II.

OF LETTERS AND THEIR POWERS.††

The

In our language we use these twenty and four letters, A. B. C. D. E. F. G. H. I. K. L. M. N. O. P. Q. R. S. T. V. W. X. Y. Z. a. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. i. k. 1. m. n. o. p. q. r. s. t. v. w. x. y. z. great letters serve to begin sentences, with us, to lead proper names, and express numbers. The less make the fabric of speech.

Our numeral letters are,

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nomine, quo pronunciatur; potestate, quâ valet; figurâ, quâ scribitur. At potestas est sonus ille, quo pronunciari, quem etiam figura debet imitari; ut his Prosodiam Orthographia sequatur.-Asper.

**Prosodia autem, et Orthographia partes non sunt; sed, ut sanguis, et spiritus per corpus universum fusæ.-Scal. ut suprà. Ramus, pag. 31. †† Litera, à lineando; undè, linere, lineaturæ, literæ, et lituræ. Neque enim à lituris literæ quia delerentur; priùs enim factæ, quàm deletæ sunt. At formæ potiùs, atque ovoías rationem, quàm interitûs, habeamus.-Scal. ibid.

Litera genus quoddam est, cujus species primariæ duæ vocalis et consonans, quarum natura, et constitutio non potest percipi, nisi priùs cognoscantur differentiæ formales, quibus factum est, ut inter se non convenirent.-Scal. ibid.

§§ Literæ differentia generica est potestas, quam nimis rudi consilio veteres Accidens appellârunt. Est enim forma quædam ipse flexus in voce, quasi in materiâ, propter quem flexum fit; ut vocalis per se possit pronunciari: Muta non possit. Figura autem est accidens ab arte institutum; potestque attributa mutari, Ful. Cæs. Scal. ibidem. De vi, ac potestate literarum tam accuratè scripserunt Antiqui, quàm de

* A vowel will be pronounced by itself: a consonant not without the help of a vowel, either before or after.

The received vowels in our tongue are, a. e. i. o. u.

+ Consonants be either mutes, and close the sound, as b. c. d. g. k. p. q. t. Or half vowels, and open it, as f. I. m. n. r. s. x. z. H is rarely other than an aspiration in power, though a letter in form.

W and Y have shifting and uncertain seats as shall be shown in their places. CHAP. III.

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throat wide opened, the tongue bent back from the teeth, as in

all, small, gall, fall, tall, call. So in the syllabes where a consonant followeth the /, as in

salt, malt, balm, calm.

[Literæ hujus sonus est omnium gentium ferè communis. Nomen autem, et figura multis nationibus est diversa. Scalig. et Ramus.

Dionysius ait a esse, cùówvótatov, ex plenitudine vocis.

Teren. Maurus.

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Is pronounced with a mean opening the mouth, the tongue turned to the inner roof of the palate, and softly striking the upper great teeth. It is a letter of divers note and use; and either soundeth, or is silent. When it is the last letter, and soundeth, the sound is sharp, as in the French i. Example in mé, sel, agree, yé, shé; in all,

saving the article the.

Where it endeth, and soundeth obscure and faintly, it serves as an accent to produce the vowel preceding: as in made, stéme, stripe, óre, cúre, which else would sound, màd, stèm, strip, dr, cùr.

Hàt, mèt, bit, nåt, pùll. [Omnes Vocales ancipites sunt; (i. e.) modò longæ, modò breves: eodem tamen modo semper depictæ (nam scriptura est imitatio sermonis, ut pictura corporis. Scriptio vocum pictura. Smithus) et eodem sono pronunciatæ. Nisi quod vocalis longa bis tantum temporis in effando reti- as in hence, which else would sound henc; It altereth the power of c, g, s, so placed, net, quàm brevis. Ut rectè cecinit ille de swinge, to make it different from swing; Temporis unius brevis est, ut longa duo-use, to distinguish it from us.

vocalibus.

rum.]

A

With us, in most words, is pronounced less than the French à; as in

art, act, apple, ancient.

But when it comes before 7, in the end of a syllabe, it obtaineth the full French sound, and is uttered with the mouth and

quâvis aliâ suæ professionis parte. Elaborârunt in hoc argumento Varro, Priscianus, Appion, ille, qui cymbalum dicebatur mundi: et inter rhetores non postremi judicii, Dionysius Halicarnassæus, Caius quoque Cæsar, et Octavius Augustus. Smith. ibid.

Literæ, quæ per seipsas possint pronunciari, vocales sunt; quæ non, nisi cum aliis, conso! nantes.

is

It is mere silent in words where coupled with a consonant in the end; as whistle, gristle, brittle, fickle, thimble, &c. Or after v consonant, or double s, as in love, glove, move, redreses, crosse, losse. Where it endeth a former syllabe, it soundeth longish, but flat; as in,

dérive, prépare, résolve. Except in derivatives, or compounds of

Vocalium nomina simplici sono, nec differente à potestate, proferantur.

Consonantes, additis vocalibus, quibusdam præpositis, aliis postpositis.

+ Ex consonantibus, quorum nomen incipit à semi-vocales: Mutas non inde appellatas, quòd Consonante, Mutæ sunt; quarum à vocali, parùm sonarent, sed quòd nihil

the sharp e, and then it answers the primitive or simple in the first sound; as agreeing, of agree; foreseeing, of foresee; being, of be.

Where it endeth a last syllabe, with one or mo consonants after it, it either soundeth flat and full; as in

descent, intent, amend, offend, rest, best. Or it passeth away obscured, like the faint i; as in these,

written, gotten, open, sayeth, &c. Which two letters e and i have such a nearness in our tongue, as oftentimes they interchange places; as in

enduce, for induce: endite, for indite : her for hir.

[Triplicem differentiam habet: primam, mediocris rictus: secundam, linguæ, eamque duplicem; alteram, interioris, nempè inflexæ ad interius cœlum palati; alteram genuinos prementis. Tertia est labri inferioris,

Ramus, lib. 2.

Duas primas Terentianus notavit ; tertiam tacuit.

Terentianus 1.

E, quæ sequitur, vocula dissona est priori; quia deprimit altum modico tenore rictum, et remotos premit hinc, et hinc molares.

Apud latinos, e latiùs sonat in adverbio benè, quàm in adverbio here: hujus enim posteriorem vocalem exiliùs pronunciabant; ità, ut etiàm in maximè exilem sonum transferit herl. Id, quod latiùs in multis quoque patet: ut ab Eo, verbo, deductum, ire, iis, et eis: diis, et deis: febrem, febrim: turrem, turrim: priore, et priori: Ram. et Scalig.

Et propter hanc vicinitatem (ait Quinct.) e quoque loco i fuit: ut Menerva, leber, magester: pro Minerva, liber, magister.]

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divi-ning, requl-ring, repi-ning.

For, a consonant falling between two vowels in the word, will be spelled with the latter. In syllabes and words, composed of the same elements, it varieth the sound, now sharp, now flat: as in

give, give, alive, live, drive, driven,
title, title.

But these, use of speaking, and acquaintance in reading, will teach, rather than rule. I, in the other power, is merely another letter, and would ask to enjoy another character. For where it leads the sounding vowel, and beginneth the syllabe, it is ever a consonant; as in

James, John, jest, jump, conjurer, perjured. And before diphthongs; as jay, joy, juice, having the force of the Hebrew's fod, and the Italian's Gi.

[Porrigit ictum genuino propè ad ipsos Minimumque renidet supero tenus labello. Terent.

I vocalis sonos habet tres: suum, exilem: alterum, latiorem propriorenique ipsi e; et tertium, obscuriorem ipsius u, inter quæ duo Y græcæ vocalis sonus continetur : ut non inconsultò Victorinus ambiguam illam quam adduximus vocem, per scribendam esse putârit, Optimus. Scalig.

Ante consonantem / semper est vocalis. Ante vocalem ejusdem syllabæ consonans. Apud Hebræos / perpetuò est consonans; ut apud Græcos vocalis.

Ut in Giacente, Giesù, Gioconda, Giustitia.]

Is pronounced with a round mouth, the tongue drawn back to the root; and is a letter of much change and uncertainty with us.

In the long time it naturally soundeth sharp, and high; as in

chosen, hósen, hóly, fólly;
open, óver, note, thróte.

In the short time more flat, and akin to

It is a letter of a double power. As a vowel in the former, or single syllabes, it hath sometimes the sharp accent;u; as as in

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binding, minding, pining, whining,
wiving, thriving, mine, thine.

Or all words of one syllabe qualified by But the flat in more, as in these, bill, bitter, giddy, little, incident, and the like.

In the derivatives of sharp primitives, it keepeth the sound, though it deliver over

cosen, dosen, mòther brother, love, pròve.

In the diphthong sometimes the is sounded; as

ought, sóught, nóught,
wrought, mów, sów.

But oftener upon the u; as in sòund, bound, hòw, nòw, thòu, còw.

In the last syllabes, before n and w, letter of a double power. As a vowel, it it frequently loseth [its sound]; as in soundeth thin and sharp, as in use; thick and flat, as in us.

person, action, willow, billòw.

It holds up, and is sharp, when it ends the word, or syllabe; as in

gó, fró, só, nó.

Except intò, the preposition; twò, the nu-
meral; dò, the verb, and the compounds
of it; as undò, and the derivatives, as doing.
It varieth the sound in syllabes of the
same character, and proportion; as in
shove; glove, grove.

Which double sound it hath from the
Latin; as

Voltus, vultus; vultis, voltis.

[O pronunciatur rotundo ore, linguâ ad radices hypoglossis reductâ. ỏ μíκpov, et μéya, unicâ tantùm notâ, sono differenti. Profertur, ut w.

Ut oo, vel ou Gallicum.
Una quoniam sat habitum est notare forma,
Pro temporibus quæ gremium ministret

usum.

Igitur sonitum reddere voles minori,
Retrorsùs adactam modicè teneto linguam,
Rictù neque magno sat erit patere labra,
At longior alto tragicum sub oris antro
Molita, rotundis acuit sonum labellis.
Terent.

It never endeth any word for the nakedness, but yieldeth to the termination of the diphthong ew, as in new, trew, knew, &c., or the qualifying e, as in sue, due, and the like.

When it leadeth1 a silent vowel in a syllabe it is a consonant; as in save, reve, prove, love, &c. Which double force is not the unsteadfastness of our tongue, or incertainty of our writing, but fallen upon us from the Latin.

[Quam scribere Graius, nisi jungat Y, ne-
quibit

Hanc edere vocem quotiès paramus ore,
Nitamur ut U dicere, sic citetur ortus
Productiùs autem, coëuntibus labellis
Natura soni pressi altiùs meabit.

Et alibi.

Terentian.

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Ut in titulis, fabulis Terentii præpositis. Græca Menandru: Græca Apollodoru, pro Mevavdpov, et 'ArоModóρov, et quidem, ne quis de potestate vocalis hujus addubiDifferentiam o parvi valdè distinctam tare possit, etiàm à mutis animalibus testiFranci tenent: sed scripturâ valdè confun-monium Plautus nobis exhibuit è Penidant. O, scribunt perindè ut proferunt. culo Menechmi ME. Egon' dedi? Pe. tu, At scribunt modò per au, modò per ao, tu, inquam, vin' afferri noctuam, quæ sonum talem minimè sonant, qui simplici, et rotundo motu oris proferri debet.

Quanta sit affinitas (o) cum (u) ex Quinct. Plinio, Papyriano notum est. Quid enim o et u, permutata invicem, ut Hecobe, et Notrix, Culchides, et Pulixena, scriberentur ? sic nostri præceptores, Cervom, Servomque u et o litteris scripserunt; Sic dedêront, probaveront, Romanis olim fuêre, Quinct. lib. 1.

Deinque o, teste Plinio apud Priscianum, aliquot Italiæ civitates non habebant ; sed loco ejus ponebant u, et maximè Umbri, et Tusci. Atque u contra, teste apud eundem Papyriano, multis Italiæ populis in usu non erat; sed utebantur ; unde Romanorum quoque vetustissimi in multis dictionibus, loco ejus o posuêrunt: Ut poblicum, pro publicum; polcrum, pro pulcrum; colpam, pro culpam.]

Is sounded with a narrower and mean compass, and some depression of the middle of the tongue, and is like our i, a

Quæ tu, tu, usque dicat tibi: nam nos jàm nos defessi sumus.

Ergò ut ovium balatus ra literæ sonum: sic noctuarum cantus, et cuculi apud Aristophanem sonum hujus vocalis vindicabit. Nam, quando z liquescit, ut in quis, et sanguis, habet sonum communem cum Y græca, χ ̓ ὦποθ ̓ ὁ κόκκυξ εἴποι κόκκυ. quando Coccyx dixit Coccy.

Et

Consonans ut u Gallicum, vel Digamma profertur.

Hanc et modò quam diximus 7, simul jugatas,

Verum est spacium sumere, vimque conso

natum.

Ut quæque tamen constiterit loco priore:
Nam si juga quis nominet, consona fiet.
Terent.

Versâ vice fit prior V, sequatur illa, ut in
vide.]

1 [Gifford altered leadeth to followeth; but it seems better to alter sounding to silent. See ante, 429 b, for the word lead.-F. C.]

W

Is but the V geminated in the full sound, and though it have the seat of a consonant with us, the power is always vowelish, even where it leads the vowel in any syllabe; as, if you mark it, pronounce the two uu, like the Greek ov, quick in passage, and these words,

ov-ine, ov-ant, ov-ood, ov-ast, sov-ing, sov-am; will sound, wine, want, wood, wast, swing,

swam.

So put the aspiration afore, and these words,

hov-at, hov-ich, hov-eel, hov-ether; Will be, what, which, wheel, whether. In the diphthongs there will be no doubt, as in draw, straw, sow, know.

Nor in derivatives, as knowing, sowing, drawing.

Where the double w is of necessity used, rather than the single u, lest it might alter the sound, and be pronounced knoving, soving, draving;

As in saving, having.

[Ut Itali proferunt Edoardo in Edouardo, et Galli, ou-y.

Suävis, suädeo, etiam Latini, ut Sov-avis, &c. At quid attinet duplicare, quod simplex queat sufficere? Proindè W pro copiâ Charactêrum non reprehendo, pro novâ literâ certè non agnosco. Veteresque Anglo-Saxones pro eâ, quando nos W solemus uti, figuram istius modi p solebant conscribere, quæ non multùm differt ab eâ, quâ et hodiè utimur simplici, dum verbum inchoet.-Smithus de rect. et amend. L. 4. Script.]

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may, say, way, joy, toy, they.

And in the ends of words; as in

deny, reply, defy, cry.

But where two ii are sounded, the first will be ever a y; as in derivatives:

denying, replying, defying.

Only in the words received by us from the Greek, as syllabe, tyran, and the like, it keeps the sound of the thin and sharp u, in some proportion. And this we had to say of the vowels.

[Siquidem eandem pro v. græco retinet: Certè alium quam i, omni in loco reddere debebat sonum.]

CHAP. IV.

OF THE CONSONANTS.

B

Hath the same sound with us as it hath with the Latin, always one, and is uttered with closing of the lips.

[Nobis cum Latinis communis.-Smith. Nam muta jubet comprimi labella, Vocalis at intùs locus exitum ministrat. Terent.

B, Labris per spiritus impetum reclusis edicimis.-Mart. cap.] C

Is a letter which our forefathers might very well have spared in our tongue; but since it hath obtained place both in our writing and language, we are not now to quarrel with orthography or custom, but to note the

powers.

Before a, u, and o, it plainly sounds k, chi, or kappa; as in

cable, cobble, cudgel. Or before the liquids, I and r; as in clod, crust.

Or when it ends a former syllabe before a consonant; as in

acquaintance, acknowledgment, action. In all which it sounds strong.

Before e and iit hath a weak sound, and hisseth like s; as in

certain, center, civil, citizen, whence. Or before the diphthongs [whose first vowel is e or i]; as in

cease, deceive.

Among the English Saxons it obtained the weaker force of chi, or the Italian c;

as in

capel, canc, cild, cyrce. Which were pronounced

chapel, chance, child, church.

It is sounded with the top of the tongue, striking the upper teeth, and rebounding

Which sometimes are written by i, but against the palate. qualified by e.

[Litera Androgyne, naturâ nec mas, nec

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