Diphthongs, what.

Proper.

are five, viz. a, e, i, o, u; and to these may be added the Greek y. The other Letters of the Alphabet are Confonants. Of these Vowels arife

Diphthongs, which are compofed of two Vowels in one Syllable; and they are (1.) Proper Diphthongs when both the Vowels are pronounced; as ai, in fair; au, in laud; ee, in Seed; oi, in void; 00, in Food; and ou, in Houfe. (2.) Improper Diphthongs, wherein the Sound of one Vowel is heard alone, and the other fupprefs'd; as ea, in Tea; ie, in Fiend; eu, in Eunuch; and fuch other. The Meeting of three Vowels in one SylTriphthongs. lable is call'd a Triphthong; as eau, in Beauty; ieu, in lieu, adieu, &c.

Improper.

Confonants divided into Mutes,

THE Confonants are divided into Mutes and Semi-vowels. The Mutes are fo call'd becaufe they can't be pronounced of themselves without a Vowel; they are Nine, as b, c, d, g, p, q, t, j, v; Semi-vorvels which are founded, bee, cee, dee, &c. The Semiand Liquids. vowels are fuch as yield an imperfect Sound without the help of a Vowel; as f, l, m, n, r, s, x, z. Of which these four, l, m, n, r, are call'd Liquids, because they easily and smoothly flow away after a Mute in a Syllable, as in glide, fmile, gnaw, brine; but they cannot be founded in the fame Syllable before a Mute when a Vowel follows; as rpo, ldi, &c. Confonants are alfo confider'd as Single, as b, c, d, &c. or Double, as x and z; for x is compofed of cs; as Vex founds the fame as Vecs; Wax, as Wacs, &c. Alfo z is made of ds; as blaze founds bladfe nearly, the d being turn'd off in a strong Sibilation or Hiffing.

Single and
Double.

Profudy, what.

Orthoepy, what.

PROSODY is the fecond Part of Grammar, which treats of Syllables and their due Divifion and Pronunciation in Words; and in refpect of this latter Part, 'tis call'd Orthoepy, or the right Speaking or expreffing of Words and Syllables. Moreover, Projody alfo gives Rules for the Quan

tity of Voice, and due Accenting of Syllables in Words. As to the former, it properly relates to Poetry; the reft will be here confider'd in Order.

Rules con

A Syllable is a compleat Sound or Utterance of A Syllable, one or more Letters, in one Breath or Tone; in what. which there muft be always one or more Vowels; as a, ve, nue; o, ri, ent: These make the larger Members of Words; as a-venue, o-ri-ent. And the Number of Syllables is various in Words; from One, as I; to Eleven, as in this long Word, Ho-no-ri-fi-ca-bi-li-tu-di-ni-ty. There are generally as many Syllables as Vowels or Diphthongs in a Word, excepting the finale: As e-ver, e-ve-ry, de-face, tranf-late, par-boil, blood-bound, a-dieu, &c. As to the Orthoepy or duly pronouncing Let- The principal ters and Syllables in Words, take the following Rules. (1.) The final e lengthens the Vowel Orthopy and cerning the foregoing; as can, cane; bed, bede; pip, pipe; Orthography, rob, robe; tun, tune. (2.) Words in re found or the right the e before the r, like u; as Fire, Fi-ur; De- pronouncing and writing fire, Defi-ur; Rere, Re-ur; Maffacre, Maffac-ur; Letters and Maugre, Maug-ur. (3.) The Latin improper Syllables in Diphthongs a, a, are founded e; as Cafar, Pha- Words. bus, Etna, Economy, are pronounced Cefar, Phebus, Etna, Economy. (4.) Alfo the English Diphthong eo often founds only the e; as Yeoman, Feoffee, Jeopardy, Leopard; and like ee in People, Feodary: And eu at the beginning of Words. founds only u; as Eunuch, Eulogy, Eucharift fo does ue at the End, as due, true, purfue.. (5.) U makes the g found hard and lengthens the Syllable in Vogue, Prologue, Epilogue, Dialogue. (6.) C founds hard like k before a, o, u, l, r; as Cat, Coft, Cup, clear, Crow: before e, i, and y, like s; as City, Cell, Cyprefs. (7.) Ch is founded like k, in Chart, Chord, Character. (8.) The Syllables ti and ci, if follow'd by a Vowel, found like fi, or fhi; as in Fiction, Condition, Logician, Mufi

The Rules of
Diaftafis or
Spelling.

cian, &c. (9.) K begins Words of a hard Sound before i, e, and n; as keep, kill, know; but before a, o, u, we write c; as call, cold, cup. (10.) G has a hard Sound before a, o, u; as Gall, Gold, Guilt, and in Ghefs for Guess. (11.) In Words where cc is found between i, the first c is hard, the other foft like f, as the Word Siccity founds Sikfity. (12.) When gg occurs, they are both hard, as dogged, rugged. (13.) In Words ending in ck, 'tis moft polite to omit the k; as for Logick, Mufick, Phyfick, fhould be wrote Logic, Mufic, Phyfic. (14.) The foft Sound of G before a, o, u, at the Beginning of Words is exprefs'd by j confonant, as Jail, Folly, Julep; and Fentleman is truer Orthography than Gentleman. (15.) The Sound of f, in Greek Words must be wrote with ph; as Phyfic, Philofophy, Philip, Phlegm, &c. (16.) The Syllable que at the End, is founded like k; as antique, pique, barque; and q is never written without u after it. (17.) In fome or moft French Words, cb is founded like ; as Machine, Chevalier, Capuchin, Chaife, are founded Mafheen, Shevalier, CapuSheen, Shaize. (18.) The final e makes a diftinct Syllable in Foreign Words which end therein, as Mam-re, Eu-ni-ce, Si-mi-le.

IN Diaftafis, or the Divifion of Words into Syllables, obferve the following Rules. (1.) When a fingle Confonant comes between two Vowels, 'tis join'd with the Latter in Spelling, as Na-ture, e-ve-ry, di-li-gent; except x, which is join'd with the firft, as Lex-i-con, Ox-en. (2.) But compound Words muft be divided back into their component Parts; as un-armed, un-ufual, fafe-ty, in-ure, ad-orn, name-less, &c. (3.) All Terminations must be separated, as deliver-ed, deliveredft, deliver-eth, deliver-eft, deliver-ing, deliver-er, deliver-ance, &c. (4.) All thofe Confonants which can begin a Word, may begin a Syllable together;

and

and fuch are bl, cl, fl, gl, pl, fl; br, cr, dr, fr, gr, pr, tr, wr; ch, dw, gn, fn, sp, fq; kn, qu, fc, sh, fm, ft, fw, th, tw, wh; also these treble Confonants; fch, fer, shr, skr, fpr, Spl, str, thr, thw. (5.) A Mute and Liquid go together in the last Syllable; as Cra-dle, ti-tle, Fa-ble, mau-gre, &c. (6.) If two Confonants meet that can't begin a Word, they must be divided; as fel-dom, num-ber, pop-py, ac-cord, ar-dent, &c. (7.) When two Vowels meet, and both are distinctly founded, they must be divided; as re-enter, mu-tu-al, La-o-di-ce-a, di-ur-nal, &c.

thereto.

THE true Accenting of Words is a difficult thing, of Accenting as it is a rifing or falling of the Voice above or be- Words, and low its ufual Tone: It is an Art fomewhat arbi- the principal trary, and of which we have but little Ufe, and Rules directing know scarce any thing but by the Laws of Custom. However the following Directions may be of Service in this Affair. (1.) When a Word is both the Name of a Thing, and fignifies Action, the first Syllable is accented in the former Cafe, but the laft in the latter; as in the Name itself áccent; but accént, to raife or fall the Voice; Cóntest, a Difpute; to contéft, to difpute; Récord, a Writing; to recórd, to commit to Writing, &c. (2.) When any Ending, as -able, -ful, -ish, &c. is join'd to any Monofyllable, the first Syllable is long or accented; as Peáce-able, fin-ful, felf-ifb, toil-fome, gód-ly, &c. (3.) Words of two Syllables ending in er, or, ure, are accented on the firfst generally; as énter, ráther, Hónor or Honour, vénture, &c. (4.) When a Word obfcurely ends in -le or -en, the Accent is on the firft Syllable; as Trouble, Gárden. (5.) When Particles are compounded with Words of one Syllable, they lengthen the Word; as allúre, collégue, pollute, refér, defér; except Conduit, perfect, Prélate, and fome others. (6.) If an Ending be added to a Word

Etymology or

Analogy, what.

Of Words,and the Eight Parts of Speech.

The Accidents of Nouns.

a Word of two Syllables, the Syllable that was first long continues fo, as Profit, Profitable; except Protéft, Próteftant. (7.) In Words of more than two Syllables, the Accent is generally on the third Vowel from the laft; as Salvátion, Damnátion, Fidélity, &c. Except (8.) When the Vowel is long by Pofition, i. e. when fet before two or more Confonants, and bears bard upon them, then it is long; as abundance, accomplish, illúftrate, Horizon, &c. (9.) Diphthongs and Triphthongs are moftly long, as embroider, reproof, rejoice, Receipt, Beauty, adiéu, except Lieutenant, &c. (10.) In foreign Words, the Accent lies on that Vowel, which, in the Original, was a Diphthong, as Darius, Encómium, Eclipfis, Eccopè, équal, &c. But to this Rule there are feveral Exceptions. These are the principal Rules both for Accent and Quantity in the English Tongue.

ETYMOLOGY or ANALOGY is the third and moft confiderable Part of Grammar, as it treats of the Nature, Kinds, and various Accidents and Affections of Words, which compofe the Body or Subftance of a Language.

WORDS are compofed (as aforefaid) of one or more Syllables, by the Sound whereof we convey our Sentiments to others, and by this Means Men are render'd converfable or focial Beings. Of Words, in every Speech, there are reckon'd eight feveral Sorts; viz. (1.) The Noun, or Name; (2.) Pronoun, or perfonal Name; (3.) Verb, the Word fignifying Action or Paffion; (4.) Participle; (5.) Adverb; (6.) Conjunction; (7.) Prepofition; (8.) Interjection. These are call'd the Eight Parts of Speech; of all which in their Order.

A Noun is the Name of a Thing, abfolutely, and without Regard to Perfon, Time or Place. Of Nouns there are in English the following Ac

cidents,