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confideration of a subject so curious and useful, have induced the compiler to bestow particular attention on the preceding part of his work. Some writers think that these fubjects do not properly conftitute any part of grammar; and confider them as the exclufive province of the fpellingbook; but if we reflect, that letters and their founds are the conftituent principles of that art, which teaches us to speak and write with propriety, and that very little knowledge of their nature is acquired by the fpelling-book, we must admit that they properly belong to grammar; and that à rational confideration of thefe elementary principles of language, is an object that demands the attention of the young grammarian. The fentiments of a very judicious and eminent writer (Quinctilian) refpecting this part of grammar, may, perhaps, be properly introduced on the prefent occafion.

"Let no perfons defpife, as inconfiderable, the elements. of grammar, because it may seem to them a matter of fmall confequence, to fhow the distinction between vowels and confonants, and to divide the latter into liquids and mutes. But they who penetrate into the innermost parts of this temple of fcience, will there discover fuch refinement and fubtility of matter, as are not only proper to sharpen the understandings of young perfons, but fufficient to give exercife for the most profound knowledge and

erudition."

The elementary founds, under their fmalleft combination, produce a fyllable; fyllables properly combined produce a word; words duly combined produce a sentence; and fentences properly combined produce an oration or difcourfe. Thus it is, fays HARRIS, in his HERMES, that to principles apparently fo trivial as a few plain elementary founds, we owe that variety of articulate voices, which has been fufficient to explain the fentiments of fo innumerable a multitude, as all the present and past generations of men.

CHAPTER II.

Of SYLLABLES, and the RULES for arranging them.

A SYLLABLE is a found, either fimple or compounded, pronounced by a fingle impulfe of the voice, and conftituting a word, or part of a word : as, a, an, ant.

Spelling is the art of rightly dividing words into their fyllables; or of expreffing a word by its proper letters.

The following are the general rules for the divifion of words into fyllables.

1. A fingle confonant between two vowels, must be joined to the latter fyllable: as, de-light, bri-dal, re-fource: except the letter x; as, ex-ift, ex-amine: and except likewife words compounded; as upon, un-even, dif-ease.

2. Two confonants proper to begin a word, muft not be feparated; as, fa-ble, fti-fle. But when they come between two vowels, and are fuch as cannot begin a word, they must be divided; as, ut-most, un-der, in-fect, er-ror, cof-fin.

3. When three confonants meet in the middle of a word, if they can begin a word, and the preceding vowel be pronounced long, they are not to be feparated; as, dethrone, de-ftroy. But when the vowel of the preceding fyllable is pronounced fhort, one of the confonants, always belongs to that fyllable; as, dif-tract, dif-prove, dif-train.

4. When three or four confonants, which are not proper to begin a word, meet between two vowels, the first confonant is always kept with the first fyllable in the divifion : as, ab-ftain, com-plete, em-broil, dan-dler, dap-ple, conftrain.

5. Two vowels, not being a diphthong, must be divided into separate fyllables; as, cru-el, de-ni-al, fo-ci-e-ty.

6. Compounded words must be traced into the fimple words of which they are compofed; as, ice-house, graceful, over-power, reft-lefs, never-the-lefs.

7. Grammatical, and other particular terminations, are generally feparated; as, teach-eft, teach-eth, teach-ing, teach-er, contend-eft, great-er, wretch-ed, good-nefs, love-ly.

Some of the preceding rules may be liable to confiderable exceptions; and therefore it is faid by Dr. Lowth and others, that the best and easiest direction for dividing the fyllables in fpelling, is to divide them as they are naturally feparated in a right pronunciation; without regard to the derivation of words, or the poffible combination of con fonants at the beginning of a fyllable.

CHAPTER III.

of WORDS in general, and the RULES for fpelling them.

WORDS are articulate founds, ufed by common confent, as figns of our ideas.

A word of one fyllable is termed a Monofyllable; a word of two fyllables, a Diffyllable; word of three fyllables, a Trifyllable; and a word of four or more fyllables, a Polyfyllable.

All words are either primitive or derivative.

A primitive word is that which cannot be reduced to any fimpler word in the language: as, man, good, content.

A derivative word is that which may be reduced to another word in English of greater fimplicity; as, manful, goodnefs, contentment, Yorkshire.*

There are many English words which, though compounds in other languages, are to us primitives: thus, cir

* A compound word is included under the head of derivative words: as, penknife, teacup, looking-glass; may be reduced to other words of greater fimplicity.

cumfpect, circumvent, circumftance, delude, concave, complicate, &c. primitive words in English, will be found derivatives when traced in the Latin tongue.

The orthography of the English language is attended. with much uncertainty and perplexity. But a confiderable part of this inconvenience may be remedied, by attending to the general laws of formation: and, for this end, the learner is prefented with a view of fuch general maxims in fpelling primitive and derivative words, as have been almoft univerfally received.

RULE I.

Monofyllables ending with f, l, or f, preceded by a fingle vowel, double the final confonant: as, staff, mill, pafs, &c. The only exceptions are, of, if, as, is, has, was, yes, his, this, us, and thus.

RULE II.

Monofyllables ending with any confonant but f, l, or f, and preceded by a fingle vowel, never double the final confonant; excepting add, ebb, butt, egg, odd, err, inn,

and buzz.

RULE III.

Words ending with y, preceded by a confonant, form the plurals of nouns, the perfons of verbs, verbal nouns, paft participles, comparatives, and fuperlatives, by changinto i: as, fpy, fpies; I carry, thou carrieft; he carrieth, or carries; carrier, carried; happy, happier, happieft.

ing y

The prefent participle in ing, retains the y, that i may not be doubled; as, carry, carrying; bury, burying, &c. But y, preceded by a vowel, in fuch inftances as the above, is not changed; as, boy, boys; I cloy, he cloys, cloyed, &c.; except in lay, pay, and fay; from which are formed, laid, paid, and faid; and their compounds, unlaid, unpaid, unfaid, &c.

RULE IV.

Words ending with y, preceded by a confonant, upon affuming an additional fyllable, beginning with a confo

D

nant, commonly change y into i; as, happy, happily, happinefs. But when y is preceded by a vowel, it is very rarely changed in the additional fyllable: as, coy, coyly; boy, boyish, boyhood; annoy, annoyer, annoyance; joy, joyless, joyful.

RULE V.

Words ending with a fingle confonant, preceded by a fingle vowel, and with the accent on the laft fyllable, upon afsuming an additional fyllable beginning with a vowel, double the confonant: as, to abet, an abettor ; to begin, a beginner; a fen, fenny; wit, witty; thin, thinnifh, &c.

But if a diphthong precedes, or the accent is on the preceding fyllable, the confonant remains fingle: as, to toil, toiling; to offer, an offering; maid, maiden, &c.

RULE VI.

Words ending with any double letter but, and taking nefs, lefs, ly, or ful, after them, preferve the letter double; as, harmleffness, careleffnefs, carelessly, ftiffly, fuccefsful, diftrefsful, &c. But those words which end with double 7, and take nefs, lefs, ly, or ful, after them, generally omit onel; as fulness, skilless, fully, skilful, &c.

RULE VII.

Nefs, lefs, ly, and ful, added to words ending with filent e, do not cut it off: as, palenefs, guilelefs, clofely, peaceful; except in a few words; as duly, truly, awful.

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RULE VIII.

Ment, added to words ending with filent e, generally preferves the from elifion; as, abatement, chaftifement, incitement, &c. The words judgment, abridgment, acknowledgment, are deviations from the rule.

Like other terminations, ment changes y into i, when preceded by a confonant; as, accompany, accompaniment ; merry, merriment.

RULE IX.

Able and ible, when incorporated into words ending with filent e, almost always cut it off: as, blame, blamable ;

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