Rules of Pronunciation
Having briefly explained the English alphabet, I proceed to the rules of pronunciation.
In pronunciation, two things demand our notice; the proper sounds of the vowels and consonants, and the accent.
In pronouncing both vowels and consonants, the general rule is, that similar combinations of letters should be pronounced alike, except when general custom has decided otherwise. Thus if i in the words, bind, find, mind, has its first sound, it ought to have the same sound in other similar combinations, kind, blind, grind. This is the rule of analogy, the great leading principle that should regulate the construction of all languages. But as languages are not formed at once by system, and are ever exposed to changes, it must necessarily happen that there will be in all languages, some exceptions from any general rule; some departures from the principle of uniformity.
The practice of a nation, when universal or ancient, has, in most cases, the force and authority of law; it implies mutual and general consent, and becomes a rule of propriety. On this ground, some deviations from the analogy of construction and pronunciation must be admitted in all languages. Thus from the analogy already mentioned, wind is an exception; for general practice has determined that i should, in this word, have its second or short sound.40 Whether this deviation was admitted at first to distinguish this word from the verb to wind, or whether there were other good reasons which cannot now be explored, or whether it was merely the work of ignorance or accident, it is unnecessary to enquire; the common consent of a nation is sufficient to stamp it with propriety.
Another rule in English, which admits of no exception, is, when the accent falls on a vowel, it is long, as o in ho´-ly; but when the accent falls on a consonant, the preceding vowel is short, as in flat´-ter.
It is also a general rule, that when a consonant closes a syllable, the preceding vowel is short, as in fan-cy, habit; altho this rule has its exceptions, as Cam-bridge, dan-ger, and perhaps man-ger.
From this rule, the English except also a2ngel, a2ncient. In this all the standard authors agree, except Kenrick and Burn, who mark a in ancient both long and short. The English pronunciation is followed in the middle and southern states; but the eastern universities have restored these words to the analogy of the language, and give a its second sound. It is presumed that no reason can be given for making these words exceptions to the general rule, but practice; and this is far from being universal, there being many of the best speakers in America, who give a, in the words mentioned, the same sound as in anguish, annals, angelic, antiquity.
The practice of the eastern universities therefore should be encouraged, rather than discountenanced; as it diminishes the number of anomalies. I shall only remark further, that a in these words must formerly have had its third or fourth sound; which is evident from the old orthography; for angel, at least, was spelt like grant, command, &c. aungel, graunt, commaund. In giving a its first sound therefore, the modern English have not only infringed the rule of analogy, but have deviated from former practice.
In the word chamber, a has its fourth sound. It is necessary to remark this; as there are many people in America, who give a its first sound, which is contrary to analogy and to all the English authorities.
With regard to accent, that particular stress of voice which should distinguish some syllable of a word from others, three things are to be considered; the importance of the syllable; the derivation of the word; and the terminating syllable.
The importance of a syllable is discovered by resolving a word into the parts which compose it, or reducing it to its radicals. Thus sensible is derived from sensus in Latin or sense in English. The first syllable therefore is that on which the meaning of the word principally depends; the others being an accessary termination.
The first syllable then is the most important and requires the accent. For the same reason, admire, compare, destroy, &c. have the accent on the second syllable in preference to the first; the last syllables being all derived from verbs, and the first being mere particles.41
Another rule for laying the accent of words arises from derivation. Thus all words that take the terminations ing, ful, less, ness, ed, est, ist, ly, retain the accent on the syllable where it is laid in their primitives; as proceed, proceeding, wonder, wonderful, &c.
But the most important article to be considered in the accentuation of words, is the terminating syllable. From the different terminations of words arise various analogies, the most of which are enumerated in the first part of my Institute. The principle which has operated to produce these analogies, is the ease of speaking or the harmony of enunciation. Consequently this principle must take place of all others; and we find that it frequently interferes with the two foregoing rules, and regulates practice in opposition to both.
The general rule, grounded on this principle, is, that words, having the same terminating syllable, have the accent at the same distance from that termination. Thus all words ending in tion, sion, cion, cial, cian, have the accent on the last syllable but one;42 and this without any regard to derivation or to the number of syllables in the word.
Thus most words in ty, if they consist of more syllables than two, have the accent on the antepenult; as probity, absurdity, probability. I recollect but two exceptions, viz. commonalty, admiralty; the accent of which is laid upon the first syllable, as in their primitives.43
But let us observe the force of the last rule, in opposition to the others. Mortal has the accent on the first syllable. Here the first rule takes place, for the first syllable, having mors, death, for its root, is the most important. But the derivative, mortality, conforms to the analogy of words ending in ty and has the accent on the last syllable but two. That the ease or harmony of pronunciation, is the cause of this change of accent, will be evident to any person who shall attempt to pronounce words of this class, with the accent on any other syllable than the antepenult.
Most of these rules admit a few exceptions, which are to be learnt by practice. Custom has made some inroads upon the rules of uniformity, and caprice is ever busy in multiplying anomalies. Still, rules will be of great service in ascertaining and fixing our language; for tho they may not root out old errors, they may prevent the introduction of others.
But besides the principal accent, there is, in most polysyllables, an inferior accent laid on the third or fourth syllable from the principal. Indeed in some words, the two accents are so nearly equal, as to be scarcely distinguishable.
It is denied by some critics that there are more accents than one, in any word. But the composition of words, and the ease of speaking, both require a plurality of accent in a very great number of instances; and our ears inform us that such a plurality actually exists in practice. If a man will assert that in such words as designation, exaltation, there is but one syllable distinguished from the others by a superior stress of voice, he must deny the evidence of sense, and would not listen to argument.
I must however remark that most, if not all syllables, derived from some important word, have some degree of accent:44 So that in compounds, there are usually as many accents as radicals. Thus in sanctify, which is composed of two radicals, sanctus and fio, we observe two accents; the strongest on the first syllable. The same may be observed in magnanimity, from magnus and animus, in promogeniture, &c. except that in these the principal accent is on the third syllable.
Notwithstanding it is a general rule, that there are as many accents in a word, as radicals, yet one of them at least is frequently removed from the principal syllable, by the analogy of termination, which prevails over all other reasons. Thus in mathematics, the two accents lie on the proper syllables; but in mathematician, the last accent is removed to a less important place. In imperceptible, the principal accent, with propriety, lies on the third syllable, which being derived from a verb (capio) is the most important. The particle im, being the privative, or that syllable which changes the meaning of the whole word from affirmative to negative, becomes important and has some degree of accent. But in the derivative imperceptibility, while the first and third syllables retain an accent, the analogy of termination carries the principal accent to the fifth syllable, which is adventitious and less important than the others.45
In many compounds, as, earth-quake, rain-bow, each syllable is pronounced with the stress that belongs to accented syllables; and there is little or no distinction of accent. The reason is obvious: There is no difference in the importance of the syllables; both are equally necessary to convey the idea. By giving one syllable the whole accent, such a word loses its original meaning, or at least its force, as may be observed in the word hussy, a corruption of house-wife; which, from an affectation of a unity of accent, and a hasty pronunciation, has sunk into a low word. From the same ridiculous affectation, work-house is, by some people, pronounced work-us.
On this head, I shall only observe further, that some words of many syllables have three accents; of which we have an example in val’etu’dina’rian.
It has been already remarked that the composition of words, and the ease of speaking, require a plurality of accent. The reason why words of many syllables have two or three accents, is plain to any man that attempts to pronounce them without an accent.
We cannot pronounce more than two unaccented syllables with perfect ease; but four or five can hardly be articulated without an intervening accent. We glide over the unaccented syllables with such rapidity, that we have hardly time to place the organs in a position to articulate them. The difficulty is in proportion to the number: So that after passing over two or three, the voice very naturally rests or falls forceably upon a particular syllable. Hence the words most difficult to be pronounced, are those of four syllables, accented on the first; as figurative, literature, applicable. The difficulty is very great, when the middle syllables abound with consonants, even in trissyllables, as ag’grandize; but is itself a sufficient reason for not accenting the first syllable of such words as acceptable and refractory. When one of the words which have the accent on the first, and three succeeding unaccented syllables, is followed by two or three particles, the passage is weak and often occasions hesitation in a speaker; as “applicable to the affairs of common life.”
A remarkable instance of this, we find in Priestley’s Preface to Letters to a Philosophical Unbeliever; “Whether of a pleasureable or of a painful nature.” In this example there are six weak syllables following each other without interruption, and such passages are not reduceable to any kind of poetic feet. This assemblage of unimportant syllables makes a hiatus in language, which should, as far as possible, be avoided by a writer; for the melody of prose consists in a proper mixture of important and unimportant syllables.46K