CHAPTER V.

QUANTITY.

CLASSIC OR SYLLABIC QUANTITY.

§ 153. QUANTITY, in the Classic sense, has reference to the length of Syllables, measured by the length of time taken up in pronouncing them. In measuring the quantity of syllables, the vowel must be considered along with the consonants that follow it. Accordingly, in Latin and Greek, a vowel before two consonants is long by position, as it is called. Measured by this rule, the English syllables mend and mends would be considered long. A long syllable requires double the time of a short one in pronouncing it.

ENGLISH OR VOWEL QUANTITY.

§ 154. Quantity, in the English sense, has reference to the length of Vowels, measured by the time taken up in pronouncing them. By comparing the sound of the vowel in each word in the column below, at the left hand, with the sound of the vowel in the word opposite, in the column at the right, as, for instance, the sound of a in fate with the sound of a in fat, it will be seen that the first in each case is pronounced more slowly than the second. The first, therefore, in each couplet, as the utterance of it occupies more time, is called long. The second, as the ut terance of it occupies less time, is called short.

155. If the quantity of the Syllable be determined by the quantity of the Vowel, in the English mode, all syllables are short in

which there is a short vowel, and all long in which there is a long one. According to this mode, the syllable see, in seeing, is long, and sits is short.

But if the quantity of the Syllable be measured, in the Classic mode, not by the length of the Vowel, but by the length of the Syllable taken altogether, see, in seeing, being followed by another vowel, is short, and sits is long, the syllable being closed by two consonants. Thus we see that what is long by the one mode of measrement is short by the other. The syllables mend and mends, already mentioned as long when measured by the Classic rule, are short when mentioned by the English rule.

DEPENDENT AND INDEPENDENT.

156. Professor LATHAM proposes for the words Long and Short to substitute Independent and Dependent. He says, "If from the word fate I separate the final consonantal sound, the syllable fa remains. In this syllable the a has precisely the sound which it had before. It remains unaltered. The removal of the consonant has in no wise modified its sound or power. It is not so with the vowel in the word fat. If from this I remove the consonant following, and so leave the a at the end of the syllable, instead of in the middle, I must do one of two things: I must sound it either as a in fate, or else as the a in father. Its (so-called) short sound it can not retain, unless it is supported by a consonant following. For this reason it is dependent. The same is the case with all the so-called short sounds, viz.: the e in bed, i in fit, u in bull, o in not, u in but. The words independent and dependent correspond with the terms perfect and imperfect of the Hebrew grammarians." The division of vowels into long and short coincides nearly with the division into independent and dependent.

COMMON RULES.

§ 157. A Vowel or syllable is Long when the accent is on the vowel, which occasions it to be slowly joined in the pronunciation to the following element; as, Fa'll, ba'le, mi'te.

A Vowel or syllable is Short when the accent is on the consonant, which occasions the vowel to be quickly joined to the suc ceeding element; as, Bun'ner, fil'let, but'ter.

A long syllable generally requires double the time of a short one in pronouncing it. Thus māte and note should be pronounced as slowly again as mat and not.

Unaccented syllables are generally short; as, Ădmi're, bald'ness. But to this rule there are many exceptions; as, Al'sō, ex'ile.

When the accent is on a consonant, the syllable is often more or less short, as it ends with a single consonant or more than one; as, Rob''ber, match'less. When the accent is on a Continuous consonant, the time of the syllable may be protracted by dwelling on the consonant; as, Can', fulfill'. But when the accent falls on an Explosive Consonant, the syllable can not be lengthened in the same manner; as, Bub'ble, tot'ter.

1. All vowels under the principal accent, before the terminations -ia, -io, and -ion, preceded by a single consonant, are pronounced long; as, Regalia, fōlio, adhēsion, explōsion, confusion; except the voweli, which in that situation is short; as, Militia, punctilio, decision, contrition. The only exceptions to this rule seem to be, Discretion, battalion, gladiator, national, rational.

2. All vowels that immediately precede the terminations -ity and -ety are pronounced long; as, Deity, piety, spontaneity. But if one consonant precedes these terminations, every preceding accented vowel is short, except u, and the a in scarcity; as, Polărity, sevěrity, divinity, curiosity, impunity. Even u before two consonants contracts itself; as, Curvity, taciturnity, &c.

3. Vowels under the principal accent, before the terminations -ic and -ical, preceded by a single consonant, are pronounced short; thus, Satanic, pathetic, elliptic, harmonic, have the vowel short; while Tūnic, rúnic, cubic, have the accented vowel long; and Fanătical, poetical, Levitical, canonical, have the vowel short; but Cubical, musical, &c., have the u long.

4. The vowel in the antepenultimate syllable of words with the following terminations is always pronounced short.

THE

RELATION OF ACCENT TO QUANTITY.

158. Accent and Quantity do not coincide. Nothing shows this more clearly than words like the adjective august', and the sub

stantive August, where the quantity remains the same, although the accent is different. Still, accent has an influence on quantity. "Besides the increase of loudness, and the sharper tone which distinguishes the accented syllable, there is also a tendency to dwell upon it, or, in other words, to lengthen its quantity. We can not increase the loudness or the sharpness of the tone without a certain degree of muscular action; and to put the muscles in motion 'requires time. It would seem that the time required for producing a perceptible increase in the loudness or the sharpness of a tone is greater than that of pronouncing some of our shorter syllables. If we attempt, for instance, to throw the accent on the first syllable of the word become, we must either lengthen the vowel, and pronounce the word bee-come, or add the adjoining consonant to the first syllable, and so pronounce the word bec-ome. We often find it convenient to lengthen the quantity even of the syllables, when we wish to give them a very strong and marked accent. Hence, no doubt, arose the vulgar notion that accent always lengthens the quantity of a syllable." See GUEST's English Rhythms, book i., chap. xiv. On the relation of Accent to Quantity, see Part VIII., on Poetical Forms.

Having, in the previous chapters, examined the phonetic elements in their combinations, and under the laws of syllabication, accent, and quantity, we shall next examine them in relation to euphony.

QUESTIONS UNDER CHAPTER V.

1. What is quantity in the classic sense, and how is it measured? Give examples.

2. What is quantity in the English sense, and how is it measured? Give examples.

3. Give the long vowel sounds and the short vowel sounds in the language. 4. State the results of the two modes of measurement.

5. Explain and illustrate the meaning of the terms independent and dependent.

6. What relation do these sounds bear to the terms long and short?

7. When is a vowel or a syllable long?

8. When is a vowel or a syllable short?

9. How does a long syllable compare in length with a short one!

10. State the relation of accent to quantity.

CHAPTER VI.

EUPHONIC CHANGES.

DEFINITIONS.

§ 159. EUPHONY, as opposed to cacophony, is that quality of sound by which it strikes the ear agreeably. As the ear, the organ by which we apprehend language, is in this respect the vestibule of the soul, it must be important whether a sound excites the ear, and, of course, the soul, pleasantly or unpleasantly. Although euphony is a quality of sound, and seems to respect the ear only, yet, if we consider the contiguity of the organs of speech to the ear, and the natural laws of the association of ideas, we shall easily be convinced that it depends for the most part on ease of utterance. The sound produced in the mouth is in close contact with the ear, which is thus constituted its rightful judge. That which passes through the lips easily strikes pleasantly on the ear; that which occasions pain and difficulty in the utterance, makes, on the contrary, a painful impression on that organ.

The facility of utterance depends on a just intermixture of vocalic and liquid sounds on the one hand, and of mute consonants on the other. This undoubtedly is the fundamental principle of euphony. The two faults opposed to this are a superabundance of vowels or liquids, producing too great softness, and a superabundance of consonants, producing too great harshness.

Although the general principles of euphony are obvious, yet, in judging of particular cases, much is left to taste, caprice, and fashion. Habit tends to make an unpleasant sound agreeable, and fashion often predominates to reject sounds in themselves pleasant. Thus different nations have formed for themselves different laws of euphony.

§ 160. The changes produced in words by euphony are called FIGURES. The euphonic changes indicated by the term are entirely distinct from those which arise in the formation and inflection of words.