CHAPTER II.

THE CONSONANTS.

§ 60. The Greek has eighteen CONSONANTS, represented by seventeen letters.

They are exhibited in the following tables, according to the two methods of division which have been given in §§ 33, 34,

and 37.

THE CONSONANTS. (Table I.)

A. Associated Consonants.

REMARKS UPON THE CONSONANTS.

$61. 1. The letter y performs a double office. When followed by another palatal, it is a nasal; otherwise, a middle

mute. As a nasal, it has n for its corresponding Roman letter, and is pronounced like ng in long; as ayythos, Lat. angelus, Eng. angel; σvyxoлý, syncope; 'Ayzions, Anchises; 2qiy, Sphinx. As a middle mute, it has g for its corresponding Roman letter; as Aiyiva, Ægina. For its pronunciation as a middle mute, see §§ 14, 15.

When a nasal, y is entitled, like the other nasals, to a place among the liquids; but having no separate character from the middle mute, it is not usually enumerated among them.

2. From the representation of the Latin v by ß (Virgilius, Bigyíà...os), it is probable, that in the ancient, as in the modern Greek (§ 15), the middle mutes approached nearer to the aspirates than in our own language, and that, in form. ing them, the organs were not wholly closed.

§ 62. 3. A palatal mute before σ, forms with it §, and a labial mute, ψ; thus κόρακσι, λέγσω, έχω become κόραξι, λέξω, ἕξω· and τύπσω, "Αραβ;, γράφσω become τύψω, "Αραψ, γράψω,

In like manner, it has been supposed, that originally a lingual mute before ☛formed with it ; but, by the laws of euphony which afterwards prevailed, a lingual, even itself, was dropped before ($ 80).

୧

$63. 4. An initial e requires, for its proper vibration or rolling, a strong aspiration, and is therefore always marked with the rough breathing; as ξέπω, ῥέω.

୧

If, by inflection or composition, this initial & is brought after a simple vowel, a softer is interposed between them, which is marked, for the sake of distinction, with the smooth breathing; as ἔῤῥεπον, ἀρρεπής, from ῥέπω" (ἐ and ὦ prefixed); περιῤῥέω, from περί and ῥέω. But εύρωστος, from the diphthong εὖ and ῥώννυμι.

In all cases where p is doubled, the first o has the smooth breathing, and the second the rough; as Пúggos, Pyrrhus.

64. 5. The semivowels and σ have corresponding vowels in a and ; that is, a sometimes takes the place of v, and & of o, when euphony forbids the use of these consonants; as ἐφθάραται for ἔφθαρνται, στερέω (contracted σπερῶ), for σπέρσω (S$ 81-83, 88).

6. The consonants a, e, and σ, from the important agency of the tongue in their formation, may be regarded as constituting a supplement to the class of linguals.

CHAPTER III.

EUPHONIC CHANGES AFFECTING THE VOWELS.

§ 65. Of the euphonic changes which affect the vowels, the most important are, I. CONTRACTION, II. CRASIS, and III. APOSTROPHE OF ELISION.

These changes prevent hiatus (§ 42), and also lessen the number of syllables (§ 44).

CONTRACTION (contractio, drawing together,) and CRASIS (xgãos, mingling,) both unite two successive vowels into one; but contraction unites two vowels in the same word, and crasis the final and initial vowels of successive words. APOSTROPHE άлооτgέqw, to turn away, to remove,) or ELISION (elisio, striking off,) simply drops a final vowel.

In poetry, two vowels are often united in pronunciation, which are written separately. This union is termed synizēsis (ovvisnois, placing together), or synecphonēsis (ovvexgárnois, pronouncing together).

§ 66. The following are the general rules according to which vowels in the same word are drawn together, with the principal cases belonging to each, and the prominent exceptions.

NOTE. One of the vowels is said to be absorbed (absorbeo, to swallow up), when it is lost in the other vowel, which, if before short, now becomes long. An , when absorbed in a, n, or o, is written beneath it. The laws of contraction take effect, without regard to an subscript, or the subjunctive of the diphthong &; as an α, ami a (§ 67).

I. Two vowels, which can form a diphthong, unite without further change. Thus

EXCEPTION. &ϊ, like aϊ, becomes a; as κνέφαϊ κνέφα.

§ 67. II. a, (1.) before an E sound (§ 51), absorbs it; but (2.) before another A sound, is itself absorbed. (3.) a, or (4.) n, with an O sound, forms o. Thus

EXCEPTIONS. 1. ท takes the place of a in the contract forms of four everyday verbs; viz. πεινάω, to hunger, διψάω, to thirst, χράομαι, to use, and ζάω, to live ; as πεινάειν πεινῆν, χράσθαι χρῆσθαι. Add also the verbs κνάω, σμάω, and ψάω, and the subjunctive of verbs in μι; as ἱστάη (from ἵστημι) ἱστης

2. In adjectives, ο before a and n is absorbed; as ἁπλία ἁπλᾶ, διπλόαι διπλαῖ, ἁπλόη ἁπλῆ.

the

3. In oὗας, ear, the nominative singular becomes οὖς, by an absorption of α, but the other forms are contracted according to the rule; as ὠτός, ὦτα.

4. For the change of on into o, in verbs in ow, see § 69.

§ 65. III. (1.) εα becomes η, and (2.) εε, ει. (3.) ε and (4.) o, with o, form ov; but (5.) with other O sounds are absorbed. (6.) In other com

binations not already given (§ 66), ε is absorbed.

Thus

§ 69. EXCEPTIONS. 1. εα preceded by a vowel or e (§ 53), or in the second declension, becomes a ; as ὑγιέα ὑγια, αργυ ρέας ἀργυρᾶς, ἀργυρέα ἀργυρᾷ, ὀστέα (2 decl.) ὀστᾶ.

2. In the dual of the third declension, st becomes η; as γένει γένη. In the older Attic writers, we find the same contraction in the nominative plural of nouns in tus ; as βασιλέες βασιλῆς (incorrectly written -ῇς), instead of the common βασιλεῖς.

ε

3. In verbs in ow, the syllables on and oat, except in the infinitive, become οι (i. e. the o and i unite, absorbing the and η); as δηλόῃ δηλοῖ, δηλόεις δηλοῖς. But δηλύειν (infin.) δηλοῦν, διδόης (from δίδωμι) διδῷς (§ 67).

4. In forming the termination of the second person singular passive, sa is contracted into y or to ; as γράφει (from γράφεσαι) γράφη οι γράφει. Το also, in the subjunctive, και becomes y; as γράφηαι (from γράφησαι) γράφη.