Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

standard authorities to which we might appeal with certainty, (for our language is continually undergoing change, addition, and improvement ;) but, unfortunately, the gentlemen of the learned professions are frequently so careless in their own pronunciation as rather to require admonition, (medice, sana te ipsum,) than to be looked to as authorities; so that they may, (from their own inaccuracies) be considered a Court of Errors, but not of Appeal. We must, therefore, rely upon such lights as we have, and the assistance of those who, well educated in other respects, make their own language their particular study.

The following are a few very common examples, (which it is absolutely necessary to correct,) of

ERRONEOUS PRONUNCIATION,

by mal-articulation or false accentuation.

OMISSION OF SUB-TONICS OR ATONICS.

g in ing, as in comin' for coming, speakin' for speaking, &c. ts in sts, as insis' for insists, persis' for persists, &c.

OMISSION OF A MIDDLE OR DOUBLE SUB-TONIC.

m in mm, as imaculate for im-maculate, &c.

n in nen, as proness, for prone-ness, &c.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small]

per'-fume (v.) for per-fu'me

per-fu'me (n.) for per-fume

mischie'v-ous for mis'-chiev-ous adverti'se-ment "adver'-tisment

pre-ce'-dent(n.) for pre'-ce-dent se-rees(series) for see-ry-es, &c. pre'-ce-dent(adj.)" pre-ce'-dent

REFINEMENTS IN PRONUNCIATION.

The syllables car, gar, and guar, are, in polite and refined pronunciation, softened thus:

car is made kya'r, as kyart (cart,) kyar-pet (carpet.) gar and guar, gya'r, as gya'rd (guard,) gya'rden (garden,)&c. Also, before a long and accented i or y, the letter k makes key, as keyi'nd (kind,) skey-i' (sky,) &c.

Such are a few points which I particularly notice, because it is in them that errors most prevail. The nature of this book does not pretend to go into the whole theory of pronunciation: my object is, practically to correct certain prevalent faults of articulation and pronunciation.

[See Practice on Pronunciation.]

PRACTICE.-FIRST DIVISION.

TABLES OF ARTICULATION.

TONIC SOUNDS.

2

3

4

5

5

6

6

a-ll-o-n-a-rm-a-t-a-le-th-e-re-e-nd-e-ve-i-ll—

[blocks in formation]

3

3

a.—The tonic sound of a, as in åt, in the

[blocks in formation]

5

[blocks in formation]

e.—The short sound of ě, as in met, in the

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

er-ir.-The borrowed sounds of e and i, joined to r, making er and ir, as in her, sir, distinct from the sound of år, as in

[blocks in formation]

9

[blocks in formation]

NOTE. This distinction is easily made by making the er and ir shorter and lighter, (by dwelling less upon them in utterance, and accenting them more rapidly,) than ur, which has a broader and more open sound.

1

« AnteriorContinuar »