Read an Excerpt
74. Etymology treats of the derivation, classes, and properties of words. 75.' Syntax treats of the relations and arrangement of words in sentences. 76. Prosody treats of figures, versification, utterance, and punctuation. 77. The basis of grammar, or the test of correctness in the use of language, is the usage of the best writers and speakers. PRONUNCIATION. LETTERS AND SOUNDS. 78. Language consists of a great variety of sounds, which are used as the signs of ideas, and are called words. 79. These sounds can all be reduced to a small number of simple sounds, which are represented to the eye by means of letters. 80. A Letter is a character that denotes one or more of the elementary sounds of language, and is the least, distinct part of a written word. Examples. A, b, c; age, at, art; iuolle; cent, cart. 811 The English language contains about forty elementary sounds, which are represented by twenty-six letters, called the alphabet. The Phoneticians make forty-three elementary sounds. Long Vowels : eel, ale, arm, all, ope, food. Short Vowels : ell, an, odd, up, foot. Shade Vowels : earth, a;r, ask. That the pupil may not confound the letters with their powers, let him substitute " Vocals " for " Vowels," " Diphthong Vocals " for " Thokgs," and "Liquid Souxus" for "liquids." Diphthongs : isle, oil, owl, mule. Coalescents : j(ea, way. Aspirate: Aay. . . Expi.obents : Tope, robe, fate, fade, ctcA, edge, lock, log. Continuants : sa/e, saue, wreaiA, wreatfte, huss, huzz, ricious, cision Liquids : fall, far. Nasal Liquids : seem, seen, sing. If we consider the foregoing "diphthongs" composite, eqnicalent to ii-,, o-i, a'-oo, and i-oo, our languagewill hare hut thirty-nine simple sounds. If we regard c as a more slende...
