PROMISCUOUS QUESTIONS.
1. Is A the first letter of all written alphabets?
All but one, the Abyssinian.
2. What number is A in the Abyssinian alphabet?
The thirteenth.
3. Is double A ever written together as a word?
It is, as a proper noun.
4. What is Aa the name of?
About forty small rivers in Europe.—Cyclopedia.
5. Is B the second letter of all alphabets?
All except the Ethiopic.
6. What number is B in the Ethiopic?
Ninth.
7. Give a word in which P has the sound of B.
Cupboard.
8. What letter is the Sonorous counterpart of T?
The letter D.—Cyclopedia.
9. Give the Periodic changes of the English language.
Saxon, Semi-Saxon, Old English, Middle English, and Modern English.
10. Give date of "Saxon period."
Previous to 1150 A.D.
11. Give date of "Semi-Saxon period."
1150 to 1250.
12. Give date of "Old English period."
1250 to 1350.
13. Give date of "Middle English period."
1350 to 1550.
14. Give date of "Modern English period."
Time since 1550.
15. What constitutes a Period in Language?
Any great change in the Literature of a People.
16. What causes these changes?
Mostly national invasion.
17. What is assimilation of Consonants?
When an aspirate and subvocal comes together, it is necessary to change the sound of one or the other, to make the combination pronounceable.
18. What is meant by an Element of Speech?
An indivisible portion of language.
19. What is a Sonant sound?
One uttered with intonated or resonant breath.
20. In changing the word traffic to trafficked, why supply the letter k?
To preserve the proper sound of c.
21. Under what condition is a consonant never doubled at the end of a word?
When immediately following a diphthong.—Webster.
22. When is C followed by K in spelling?
Words ending with the sound of k, and in which c follows the vowel.
23. Give some examples.
Back, black, fleck, etc.
24. Are there any exceptions?
There are, as sac, arc, etc.
25. Why is the word Humbugged spelt with two g's?
To prevent sounding the g like j.
26. Give some words spelled differently in the U.S. and in England.
Woolen—woollen, honor—honour, etc.
27. When do words, ending in double e, drop one e on taking an additional syllable?
When the suffix begins with e.
28. Why?
To prevent three e's coming together.
29. Does pluralizing a word ever change the accent?
Sometimes it does.
30. Give an example.
An'tipode—Antip'odes.
31. In such words as Defense, which is correct, se or ce for the termination?
Se, because the s belongs to the words from which they are derived.—Webster.
32. Should words of English origin end in ise or ize?
Ize; same as those from the Greek.
33. Are there any exceptions to these rules?
There are; as advertise, from English, etc.
34. Are the words ox, calf, sheep, and pig of French or Saxon origin?
Saxon.
35. From what language do the words beef, veal, mutton, and pork come?
The Norman-French.
36. What is a Lexicon?
A Dictionary.
37. What is an irregular sound?
Sound of a Redundant letter.
38. How are words divided as regards Specie?
Primitive and Derivative.
39. How may the meaning of a word be changed?
By accent; as Aug'ust, August'.
40. What is an irregular derivative?
One in which the letters of the root are changed in forming the derivative.
41. What is Pronunciation?
The distinct utterance of the sounds of a word.
42. What are the significant parts of a word?
Root, prefix, and suffix.
43. How are words divided as to variety?
Italic, Roman, Old English, etc.
44. Name some compound word in which both parts retain their own accent.
Writ'ing-mas'ter.
45. Name some word in which one part loses its accent.
Gentle-manly.
46. Can all the vowels form syllables themselves?
All except W.
47. When has R a rough sound?
When it begins a word.
48. How are words distinguished?
By their forms and uses.
49. Why do Consonants ever unite?
To form complex sounds: as rr in Burr.
50. From what language are most words derived that end in less?
Anglo-Saxon.
51. Is Z the last letter of all alphabets?
All except the Greek, and Hebrew.
52. What is its place in the Greek alphabet?
Sixth.
53. What is its place in the Hebrew?
Seventh.
54. What letter is the sonorous counterpart of S?
The letter Z.—Cyclopedia.
55. What is spelling of Z in England?
Zed, and also Izzard.
56. What language has two letters representing the sound of Z?
The Russian.
57. When was the letter W first used?
About the end of the Seventh Century.
58. What changes the sound of a vowel from long to short?
The absence of the accent.
59. In what situation is gh always silent?
After i in the same syllable.
60. How many words of two syllables are changed from nouns to verbs by accent?
About eighty.
61. What word contains a consonant Tetragraph?
Phthisic.
62. What is Philology?
The science of language.
63. When is ue final, silent?
After g and q; as fatigue and oblique.
64. What are the elements of spoken language?
Vocal and articulate sounds.
65. What are Hybrid words?
Mongrel compounds.
66. What is Terminology?
A treatise on technicalities.