An improper triphthong is one in which all the vowels are not sounded; as, eau in beauty. A syllable is a letter, or a combination of letters, uttered at a single impulse of the voice. Thus; in amen, a constitutes one syllable, and men another. A word is a syllable, or a combination of syllables, used as the sign of some idea. A word of one syllable is called a monosyllable ; a word of two syllables, a dissyllable; of three syllables, a trisyllable; of four or more syllables, a polysyllable. EXERCISES. Tell which of the following words are monosyllables, which dissyllables, etc. Twenty, man, happy, unity, school, safety, book, baker, magnanimous, monosyllable, dissyllable, trisyllable, ambiguity, vulture, tough, crucifix, homily. A primitive word is one which is not derived from another word in the language; as, man, holy, love. A derivative word is one which is derived from another word in the language; as, manly, holiness, loving. A compound word is one which is composed of two or more words; as, schoolmaster, laughterloving. A simple word is one which is not compounded; as, word, man. What is an improper triphthong? What is a primitive word?—a derivative word?-a compound word?-a simple word? Remarks.-1. Compound words in common use have their component parts united together, and are written as single words; as, inkstand. 2. Other compound words have a hyphen between the component parts; as, cloud-compelling. Monosyllables which end in f, l, or s, preceded by a single vowel, double the final consonant; as, staff, mill, pass. Exceptions. Of, if, as, is, has, was, yes, his, this, us, thus, gas, pus. EXERCISES. Correct the errors in the following words. Mil, mis, gues, bles, spel, wal, tal, stif, puf, gros, las, til. RULE II. Words ending in any other consonant than f, l, or s, do not double the final letter; as, war, drug. Exceptions.—Add, odd, ebb, inn, err, purr, butt, buzz, egg. EXERCISES. Correct the errors in the following. Rapp, whenn, gunn, bragg, tarr, batt, sinn, onn, forr, tubb. Ad, eb, od, eg, buz. RULE III. Monosyllables, and words accented on the last syllable, ending with a single consonant preceded How are compound words in common usc How are other compounds written? What are the exceptions? What is the second general rule?-What exceptions? What is the third general rule? by a single vowel, double that consonant on receiving a termination beginning with a vowel. Thus, blot, blotting, not bloting; allot, allotting, not alloting; drop, dropped, not droped; shut, shutting, not shuting; quit, quitting, not quiting. Note.-In quit, t is preceded by two vowels, but the u has the consonant sound of w. Remarks.-1. There are four conditions to be regarded in this doubling. (1.) The word must be a monosyllable or a word accented on the last syllable. (2.) The word must end in a single consonant. (3.) The consonant must be preceded by. a single vowel. (4.) The termination must begin with a vowel. Thus the word differ does not come under the rule, because it is not a monosyllable, nor accented on the last syllable; consequently we write differing, differed, etc., with one r. The word defend is accented on the last syllable; but it does not come under the rule, because it ends with two consonants, n d; consequently we write defending, not defendding. The word soil is a nonosyllable, and the word recoil is accented on the last syllable, and each of them ends with a single consonant: but they do not come under the rule, because the consonant is preceded by a diphthong, and not by a single vowel; consequently we write boiling, recoiling, with one l. The word allotment is spelled with one t, because the termination ment does not begin with a vowel. 2. The reason for doubling the consonant is that the short sound of the vowel may be retained in the derivative. Thus, bloting would be pronounced like bloatir with the long sound of o. In such words as differing, defending, boiling, allotment, the proper sound is retained without doubling. 3. If the derivative removes the accent to another syllable, the consonant is not doubled. Thus, refer is accented on the last syllable, fer; but in reference the accent is removed from fer to another syllable, and the word is written with one r. 4. In many words ending in 7, the 7 is generally doubled, though the accent is not on the last syllable; as in traveller, modelling, pencilled. So the derivatives of bias, worship, and kidnap, double s and p; as in biassing, worshipped, kidnapper. But Webster and others spell such words with the consonants single; as, traveler, biased, worshiping. 5. X is not doubled, because it is a double consonant. Thus, vexing, not vexxing. When is it improper to double the last consonant? EXERCISES. Correct the errors in the following. Spot, spoted; allot, allotted; annul, annuled; refer, refering; permit, permited; overset, overseting; beg, begar; dig, diging; begin, beginer; run, runer. Boil, boilling; differ, differrence; proceed, proceedding; defeat, defeatted; embroil, embroilling; bigot, bigotted; general, generallize; deep, deepper. RULE IV. Words ending in l, to avoid trebling a letter, reject one 7 when less or ly is added; as, skill, skilless; chill, chilly. Remarks.-1. Words ending in any other double letter, retain the letter double before these terminations; as, odd, oddly; careless, carelessly. 2. Some authorities say that one 7 is rejected when full or ness is added; as skill, skilfull; chill, chilness. But Mr. Webster and others retain l, and write skillfull, chillness. EXERCISES. Correct the errors in the following. Dull, dullly; hill, hillly; full, fullly; skill, skillless. RULE V Final e is omitted before terminations beginning with a vowel; as, save, saving; force, forcible; blame, blamable. Exceptions.-Words ending in ce or ge retain e before able, to preserve the soft sound of c and g; as, change, changeable; peace, peaceable. Remarks.-1. Some writers retain e when able is added to blame, move, reprove, sale, and their compounds. 2. The word singe retains e before ing, to distinguish it from singing from sing. The word hoe also retains e before ing. What is the fourth general rule? Is one 7 dropped when full or ness is add- EXERCISES. Correct the errors in the following. Slave, slaveish; convince, convinceing; change, changeing; please, pleaseing; excuse, excuseable; leave, leaveing; ride, rideing; blue, blueish. Charge, chargable; service, servicable; change, changable; singe, singing. RULE VI. Silent e is retained before terminations beginning with a consonant; as, close, closely; abate, abatement. Exception.-Duly, truly, awful, drop e. Argument is derived from the Latin argumentum, and not from argue. When the e is preceded by dg, some drop and others retain e; as, abridge, abridgment, or abridgement. The e is usually dropped in judgment. EXERCISES. Correct the errors in the following. Sincere, sincerly; sedate, sedatness; advance, advancment; cease, ceasless; love, lovly; waste, wastful; arrange, arrang ment. Judge, judgement; lodge, lodgement; acknowledge, acknowledgement. RULE VII. Words ending in y, preceded by a consonant, change y into i when a termination is added; as, fly, flies; merry, merrier, merriest, merriment. Exception 1.-Before ing, y is retained, that i may not be doubled; as, carry, carrying. Remark.-Words ending in ie, after dropping e before ing, change i into y for the same reason; as, die, dying. Erception 2.-Dyeing, the present partciple of dye, retains e to distinguish it from dying, the participle of die. What is the sixth rule? What exception? | What exceptions to the seventh rule ? What is the seventh rule? |
