not the smallest doubt that the penultimate accent has a lengthening power: that is, if our own words, and words borrowed from other languages, of two syllables, with but one consonant in the middle, had been left to the general ear, the accent on the first syllable would have infallibly lengthened the first vowel. A strong presumption of this arises from our pronunciation of all Latin dissyllables in this manner, without any regard to the quantity of the original, (see Drama) and the ancient practice of doubling the consonant when preceded by a single vowel in the participial terminations, as to begin, beginning, to regret, regretted: and I believe it may be confidently affirmed, that words of two syllables from the Latin, with but one consonant in the middle, would always have had the first vowel long, if a pedantic imitation of Latin quantity had not prevented it. (see Drama) Let an Englishman, with only an English education, be put to pronounce zephyr, and he will, without hesitation, pronounce the e long, as in zenith: if you tell him the e is pronounced short in the Latin zephyrus, which makes it short in English, and he should happen to ask you the Latin quantity of the first syllable of comic, mimic, solace, etc. your answer would be a contradiction to your rule.—What irrefragably proves this to be the genuine analogy of English quantity, is the different quantity we give a Latin word of two syllables when in the nominative, and when in an oblique case: thus in the first syllable of sidus and nomen, which ought to be long; and of miser and onus, which ought to be short, we equally use the common long sound of the vowels: but in the oblique cases, sideris, nominis, miseri, oneris, etc. we use quite another sound, and that a short one: and this analogy runs through the whole English pronunciation of the learned languages. (533) (535)
544. But the small dependance of the English quantity on that of the Latin, will be best seen by a selection of words of two syllables, with the accent on the first, and but one consonant in the middle, and comparing them with the Latin words from which they are derived.
English dissyllables which have but one consonant, or a mute and liquid in the middle, and have the first syllable accented, contrasted with the Latin words from which they are derived, marked with their respective quantities.
Words in which the first vowel in both languages is long:
| pīca, | pīca. |
| drāma, | drāma. |
| lābra, | lābra, lăbra. |
| hȳdra, | hȳdra. |
| ēra, | aera. |
| strāta, | strāta. |
| īcon, | ἐικὼν. |
| stīpend, | stīpendium. |
| nōtice, | nōtĭtia. |
| frāgrance, | frāgro. |
| līcence, | līcentia. |
| crēdence, | crēdentia. |
| fēmale, | foemina. |
| ēdile, | aedīlis. |
| fēline, | fēlīnus. |
| rāsure, | rāsūra. |
| fībre, | fībra, fĭbra. |
| mētre, | mētrum, mĕtrum. |
| nāture, | nātūra. |
| plācate, | plācātus. |
| prīmate, | prīmātus. |
| clīmate, | clīma. |
| lībrate, | lībrātus, |
| vībrate, | vībro, vĭbro. |
| prīvate, | prīvātus. |
| cērate, | cērātus. |
| fīnite, | fīnītus. |
| lēvite, | lēvīta. |
| nātive, | nātīvus. |
| mōtive, | mōtivus. |
| vōtive, | vōtivus. |
| vōcal, | vōcālis. |
| prēdal, | praeda. |
| rēgal, | rēgālis. |
| lēgal, | lēgālis. |
| flāvour, | flāvŭs. |
| fēces, | faeces. |
| mānes, | mānēs. |
| īris, | īrĭs. |
| crīsis, | κρίσις, crīsis. |
| grātis, | grātis. |
| ēgress, | ēgrēssus. |
| rēgress, | rēgrēssus. |
| rĕgrēssus. | |
| tȳgress, | tīgris, tĭgris. |
| rēbus, | rēbŭs. |
| bōlus, | bōlus, bŏlus. |
| prēcept, | praeceptum. |
| plēnist, | plēnus. |
| pāpist, | pāpa. |
| clīmax, | clīmax. |
| rēflex, | rēflexus, rĕflexus. |
| prēfix, | praefixum. |
| phēnix, | phoenix. |
| mātrix, | mātrix. |
| vārix, | vārix. |
| sȳrinx, | sȳrinx, σύρινξ. |
| pēnal, | paenālis. |
| fīnal, | fīnālis. |
| spīnal, | spīnālis. |
| trīnal, | trīnus. |
| hōral, | hōra. |
| flōral, | flōrālis. |
| nāsal, | nāsŭs. |
| fātal, | fātālis. |
| nātal, | nātālis. |
| vītal, | vītālis. |
| nāval, | nāvālis. |
| rīval, | rīvālis. |
| ōval, | ōvālis. |
| īdol, | īdōlum. |
| grēcism, | graecīsmus. |
| pāgan, | pāgānus. |
| ōmen, | ōmen. |
| sīren, | sīrēn. |
| sīphon, | σίφον, sīphon. |
| cōlon, | κῶλον, cōlon. |
| dēmon, | daemon. |
| hālo, | hālo. |
| sōlo, | sōlo. |
| tȳro, | tīro. |
| sōlar, | sōlāris. |
| lāzar, | lāzărus. |
| sōber, | sōbrĭus. |
| tȳger, | tīgris, tĭgris. |
| ēther, | aether. |
| ōker, | ώχρα. |
| mīmer, | mīmus. |
| cāper, | cāppăres. |
| vīper, | vīpera. |
| prētor, | praetor. |
| līmous, | līmōsus. |
| spīnous, | spīnōsus. |
| vīnous, | vīnōsus. |
| crēbrous, | crēber. |
| fētus, | foetus. |
| ēdict, | ēdīctum. |
| sēcret, | sēcrētus. |
| fībre, | fībra, fĭbra. |
| frāgrant, | frāgrans. |
| cōgent, | cōgent. |
| mōment, | mōmentum. |
| pōnent, | pōnens. |
| dīgest, sub. | dīgestus. |
| rēflux, | rēfluxus. |
| rĕfluxus. | |
| trōphy, | trōphaeum. |
| trŏphaeum. | |
| chēly, | chēle. |
| spīny, | spīna. |
| chāry, | cārus. |
| quēry, | quaere. |
| glōry. | glōria. |
| stōry, | histŏria. |
Words in which the same vowel is short in both languages:
| măgic, | măgĭcus. |
| trăgic, | trăgĭcus. |
| săbine, | săbīni. |
| fămine, | fămes. |
