Orthography / As Outlined in the State Course of Study for Illinois

by Elmer W. Cavins

EIGHTH YEAR.

[Fourth Month.]

“I constituting or ending an unaccented syllable, not initial, is always short, and is usually short even in initial syllables, if unaccented.”

divide	tirade	sentinel	fidelity	residence
direct	intimate	continent	digest	levity
finance	indivisible	defensible	hilarious	reticent
imitate	equidistant	predicate	maritime	reticule
piazza	nobility	finance	invitation	direction

In the initial syllables i, bi, chi, cli, cri, pri, tri, however, i is generally long.

idea	biology	climatic	primeval	tripod
idle	Chinese	criterion	triangular	triune
isothermal	chirography	biennial	binomial	priority

[Fifth Month.]

E before terminal n should always be silent in participles, and also in most other words.

given	stolen	ridden	bidden	forsaken
taken	proven	shaken	woven	gotten
broken	driven	written	shaven	risen
spoken	frozen	arisen	chidden	smitten
fallen	hidden	beaten	eaten	stricken

also

heaven	oaken	happen	burden	leaven
often	leaden	seven	garden	brazen
widen	golden	even	eleven	christen

But in the following words e should be sounded:

hyphen	chicken	marten	lichen	sudden
linden	linen	gluten	mitten	aspen

E should also be sounded in any word (not a participle) in which terminal en is immediately preceded by l, m, n, or r.

women	Ellen	Helen	omen	pollen
barren	linen	woolen	Allen	Warren

[Sixth Month.]

“E before terminal l should usually be sounded.”

Abel	model	morsel	cancel	marvel
level	travel	rebel	gravel	barrel
nickel	apparel	towel	channel	kennel
chapel	citade	revel	Mabel	libel
camel	laurel	bevel	funnel	parcel

But in the following words and in their derivatives e before terminal l should not be sounded:

easel	weasel	ravel	mantel	shekel
navel	chattel	shrivel	drivel	snivel
shovel	grovel	mussel	hazel	teasel

[Seventh Month.]

“In most words i before terminal l or n should be sounded.”

Latin	vigil	anvil	goblin	coffin
cavil	cabin	council	rosin	origin
javelin	pencil	axil	assassin	tranquil
resin	bobbin	violin	peril	moccasin
retail	satin	utensil	pistil	daffodil

In the following words i should not be sounded:

devil

basin

evil

cousin

weevil

raisin

[Eighth Month.]

“I accented in most words from the French has the sound of long e.”

pique	quarantine	police	critique	unique
machine	routine	ravine	regime	intrigue
caprice	suite	valise	Bastile	magazine
guillotine	fatigue	antique

SEVENTH YEAR.
RULES OF SPELLING.

Many people think that rules of spelling are of no value, because they are hard to remember and because of numerous exceptions. This is certainly true of a great many such rules (and there are a great many); but three or four of these rules apply to so many words difficult to spell, and they have such a small number of exceptions that they are well worth while. Several hundred words are spelled according to the first rule given below. The rule itself is short, and all of the exceptions could be learned “for keeps” by a pupil in an hour. But pupils must have drill in applying the rules or they may be able to repeat the rules perfectly and glibly and not be able to spell the words coming under them.

Since the rule given for the work of the first month, seventh year, and that given for the second month, are counterparts, each of the other, I prefer to take them together. Knowing that “silent final e is dropped when a suffix beginning with a vowel is added”, we naturally infer its counterpart, viz.: “Silent final e is retained when a suffix beginning with a consonant is added.”

To bring about the necessary drill and insure attention to the application of the rule, I suggest that a class of pupils, reciting by turns, spell at least twenty-five words according to the following model. [The words are on the board in this form: love + able, care + less.]

“The suffix able begins with the vowel a; therefore when it is added to the word love the final silent e is dropped, and the word is spelled lovable.” Or,

“The suffix less begins with the consonant l; therefore, when it is added to the word care the final silent e is not dropped, and the word is spelled careless.”

Words to be spelled according to this model should be mixed,—those in which the suffix to be added begins with a vowel mixed with those in which the suffix begins with a consonant. Exceptions ought to be thrown into the mixture, and when a pupil comes to an exception, he can proceed according to the model, concluding with, “but this word is an exception to the rule”.

Fifty words are here given to illustrate this rule, but pupils who want to do thorough work should spell several such fifties.

[First Month.]

love–able	adventure–ous	decide–ing
care–less	change–ing	ice–berg
blame–able	extreme–ly	house–keeper
achieve–ment	fickle–ness	idle–ness
brake–man	fdore–cast	excite–ment
cure–able	compare–able	console–able
discourage–ment	continue–ally	endure–ance
prove–able	contrive–ance	amaze–ment
move–able	guide–ance	fierce–ness
acquire–ing	forgive–ness	peace–ful
else–where	hate–ful	deface–ment
enlarge–ment	believe–ing	disgrace–ful
admire–able	converse–ed	blue–ish
abide–ing	hedge–hog	lodge–ing
advertise–ment	achieve–ing	amuse–ment
eye–brow	hoarse–ness	dine–ing
pursue–ing	argue–ing	revenge–ful

EXCEPTIONS.

Words ending in ce and ge retain the e when a suffix beginning with a or o is added.

changeable	challengeable	pronounceable
exchangeable	peaceable	advantageous
chargeable	serviceable	outrageous
manageable	traceable	courageous
marriageable	noticeable	vengeance

OTHER EXCEPTIONS.

hoeing	singeing	seer	nursling	truly
shoeing	tingeing	seeing	loathsome	duty
toeing	freeing	agreeable	awful	wisdom
dyeing	fleeing	mileage	duly	wholly

Five other exceptions, to be remembered together: argument, judgment, lodgment, abridgment, acknowledgment.

The exceptions here given, which are practically all of the exceptions to this rule, should be reviewed until they cannot be forgotten. The value of the rule depends much on a thorough committal of the exceptions.

[Third Month.]

Rule II: “When a suffix is added to a word ending in y, preceded by a consonant, the y is changed to i, unless the suffix begins with i.”

Model for drill on this rule (supply + ed, display + ed are written on the board):

“The y in supply is preceded by a consonant, therefore, when the suffix ed is added the y is changed to i and the word is spelled, supplied.” Or,

“The y in display is preceded by a vowel, therefore when the suffix ed is added the y is not changed, and the word is spelled, displayed.”

carry + ed	study + es	espy + ed	juicy + est
hurry + es	destroy + ed	deny + ing	homely + est
marry + ing	pity + ing	survey + ed	pity + ful
decay + ed	pity + less	employ + ing	rally + es
annoy + s	joy + less	noisy + est	pretty + est
copy + ed	city + es	mighty + er	pity + able

EXCEPTIONS.

y does not change before 's; as in

la´dy's

en´e my's

ba´by's

coun´try's

Other exceptions to the rule, or to what is inferred from it:

staid (or stayed)	slain	dry´ly	la´dy like
paid	dai´ly	dry ness	la dy bug
laid	sly ly	(but, dri´er,	la dy ship
said	sly ness	dri´est)	ba by hood
saith	shy ly	shy ness	ba by house

[Fourth and Fifth Months.]

Rule III: “Monosyllables or words accented on the last syllable, ending in a single consonant, preceded by a single vowel, double the final consonant on receiving a suffix beginning with a vowel.” This rule carries with it the inference that the final consonant is not doubled unless these conditions are all complied with.

Model for drill on this rule:

“Refer is not a monosyllable, but it is accented on the last syllable; it ends in a single consonant r, preceded by a single vowel e; therefore, on adding the suffix ed, beginning with the vowel e, the final consonant r is doubled, and the word is spelled, referred.”

refer + ed	gallop + ed	suspend + ed	suffer + ing
omit + ed	abhor + ence	kidnap + ed	travel + ed
cheat + ed	join + ing	admit + ing	rebel + ious
flatter + ed	benefit + ed	differ + ence	fertil + izer
prefer + ing	permit + ed	enamel + ed	quarrel + ing
remit + ance	map + ing	drug + ist	brag + art
heap + ing	connect + ing	emit + ed	unfit + ed
confer + ing	offer + ed	conceal + ed	parallel + ed
acquit + ed*	commit + ee	shelter + ed	stir + ing
root + ed	squeal + ing	intermit + ent	equal + ed
depend + ent	begin + er	cheer + ed	vigor + ous
occur + ed	shovel + ed	forgot + en	regret + ed
submit + ed	transmit + ed	drum + er	spin + ing

* After q, u is a consonant.

EXCEPTIONS.

The final consonant is not doubled when, in the derivative, the accent is thrown from the last syllable of the primitive; as, re fer´, ref´er ence.

ref´er ence	def´er ence	ref er ee´
pref er ence	in fer ence	ref´er a ble or
con fer ence	pref er a ble	re fer´ri ble

OTHER EXCEPTIONS.

gas es	(but gassy)	tranquillity
gas eous	humbug ging	trans fer able
crystallize	humbug ged	ex cellence
chagrined

Note.—There is a large class of words ending in l, and accented on some other syllable than the last, in whose derivatives the l is doubled by many writers; but it accords more with the analogy of the language not to double the l. Such words are the following: apparel, cancel, channel, cudgel, dishevel, drivel, duel, enamel, equal, gambol, grovel, jewel, libel, marshal, marvel, metal, model, panel, peril, quarrel.

REFERENCE TABLE OF SUFFIXES.

• able, see ble
• age, that which, having
• ain, see ian
• al, pertaining to
• an, pertaining to, one who
• ant, one who, that which, quality of, condition of
• ary, one who, that which, place where, condition of, quality of, pertaining to
• ate, act of, state of, shaped like
• ble, capable of, fit to be
• cle, little, that which
• ed, condition of
• ee, one who
• ence, see ant
• ent, see ant
• er, one who, that which
• es, see er
• et, little
• ful, full of, having
• fy, to make
• ial, see al
• ian, one who
• ible, see ble
• ic, pertaining to

• il, see ile
• ile, capable of, quality of
• ion, act of, state of, that which
• ious, see ous
• ish, act of
• is, that which
• ise, see ize
• ism, state of, doctrine of
• ist, one who
• ity, that which, state of being, quality of
• ive, that which, quality of
• ize, act of
• lent, full of
• less, without
• ly, state of being
• ment, that which
• oid, form
• or, one who
• ory, see ary
• ous, full of, quality of, having
• tic, see ic
• tude, quality of
• ty, see ity
• ure, that which, act of
• y, that which

INDEX TO ROOTS.

This index is to be used as a cross-reference by means of which, words in different parts of the book having a common root may be associated.

	Page.		Page.		Page.
act	[11], [61]	*fort	[26]	nov	[20], [56]
ambl	[15], [18], [82]	*fract, frang	[27]	numer	[38], [74]
anim	[25], [35]	*frater	[27]	opo, opt	[29], [44], [64], [76], [80]
*ann	[11]	fresh	[20], [40]	*pater	[69]
aqua	[74], [80]	fuse	[13], [59], [61]	path	[25], [29], [30], [45], [63], [76], [81]
arch	[28], [45], [82]	fy	[70]	*ped, pod	[36]
*art	[12]	gam	[21], [28], [45]	*pel, puls	[35]
*aster	[12]	*ge	[47]	*pend, pens	[35]
*aud	[13]	gnost	[59], [63]	*phon	[83]
bi, be	[9], [64], [65], [74]	gon	[26], [83]	ple, plen	[20], [40]
brev	[9], [39]	grad, gress	[52], [54], [59], [60], [61]	*polis	[84]
burse	[13], [20]	*graph	[47]	*pon, pos	[37]
*capt, caput	[53]	*grat, grac	[65]	*port	[72]
*ced, cess	[53]	*greg	[65]	preci	[52], [74]
*cent	[54]	hale	[55], [56]	roy	[63], [66], [82]
cept	[14], [55]	hypnot	[45], [82]	*rupt	[72]
*chron	[46]	itio, it	[9], [55], [61]	sal	[34], [71]
cep, cip	[18], [50]	*ject	[66]	scend	[52], [61]
*civ	[55]	journ	[49], [82]	*scop	[84]
clam, claim	[20], [74]	junct	[71], [75]	*scrib, scrip	[72]
clud, clus	[16]	juven	[20], [70]	secu	[15], [40]
cogn	[20], [56], [81]	laps	[20], [51]	sect	[13], [14], [21], [50], [56], [71]
*cord, card	[17]	lect	[51], [60], [71]	soci	[25], [32]
*corpus, corpor	[17]	*leg	[66]	solv	[9], [68]
*cura, curo	[18]	*liber	[30]	son	[25], [68]
*curr	[58]	*liter	[31]	*spec	[73]
cuspid	[21], [35], [50]	loc	[13], [40]	sta, sist	[11], [15], [57], [60], [71]
cycl	[21], [50], [64]	*log, logy	[48]	struct	[20], [57]
*dent	[58]	loqu	[51], [57], [59], [76]	surrect	[20], [71]
*dict	[58]	luc	[39], [61]	*tang, tact	[41]
*doc, doct	[59]	luna	[60], [80]	*tempor	[41]
dors	[26], [56]	lut, luv	[9], [50]	*ten, tain	[42]
dote	[25], [63]	*manu	[31]	*terr	[43]
*duc	[22]	mar	[61], [71]	thesis	[25], [29], [64]
dur	[32], [33]	*mater	[32]	*tors, tort	[76]
*fac, fec, fic	[23]	matur	[19], [56]	*tract	[77]
femin	[35], [71]	*ment	[68]	trude	[56], [57], [59]
*fer, lat	[24]	meridi	[50], [57]	une	[21], [39]
*fest	[24]	*meter	[83]	use, uti	[9], [32], [39]
fid	[39], [51], [56], [67]	mingle	[14], [51]	vade	[15], [56]
*fin	[62]	*mit	[69]	*ven	[78]
*firm	[62]	moni	[19], [49]	*vers, vert	[79]
fix	[19], [49], [60]	mort	[39], [56], [57]	via, vi	[15], [21], [56], [74]
*flex, flect	[62]	mot	[40], [51], [59], [71]	vir	[21], [70]
flor	[39], [66], [82]	mut	[32], [51], [56], [61]	viv	[39], [70], [74], [82]
*flu	[63]	nat	[40], [56], [66]	vol	[10], [67]
*foli	[26]	nomi	[21], [28], [50], [66]	zoo	[48], [64]
form	[15], [25], [61], [73]	*norm	[69]

* Given in the Illinois State Course of Study.

INDEX TO PREFIXES.

	Page.		Page.		Page.		Page.
a (an)	[63]	contra	[11]	non	[15]	se	[60]
a, ab, abs	[9]	de	[52]	mono	[28]	semi	[20]
ad (ac, etc.)	[49]	dia	[26]	ob (op)	[57]	sub (suc, etc.)	[60]
ambi, amphi	[9]	dis	[13]	para	[29]	super	[20]
ante	[50]	en (on)	[26]	per	[15]	syn (sym)	[29]
anti	[25]	epi	[64]	peri	[29]	tele	[30]
auto	[64]	ex (e, ec)	[55]	post	[57]	trans	[61]
bene	[10]	extra	[14]	pre	[18]	tri	[21]
bi	[50]	in (im)	[56]	pro	[59]	uni	[25]
circum	[10]	inter	[14]	re	[20]	vice	[63]
con (col, etc.)	[51]	micro	[65]	retro	[60]

INDEX TO SUFFIXES.

	Page.		Page.		Page.		Page.
ac	[44]	ence	[67]	ion	[71]	oid	[82]
aceous	[66]	ent	[68]	ise	[81]	ory	[73]
acy	[33]	fy	[70]	vist	[82]	ous	[74]
al	[66]	ic	[38], [80]	ism	[45]	ulent	[75]
an	[33]	ics	[44]	ite	[71]	ure	[75]
ance	[68]	id	[39]	ity	[39]	y	[45], [75]
ary	[34]	ile	[70]	ive	[40]

CONTENTS.

Seventh Year.
First Month.	Page.
Word Analysis	[9]-[13]
Elementary Sounds	[85]
Rule of Spelling	[100]
Second Month.
Word Analysis	[13]-[18]
Letters, Alphabet, etc.	[87]
Rule of Spelling	[100]
Third Month.
Word Analysis	[18]-[24]
Vowels	[88]
Rule of Spelling	[101]
Fourth Month.
Word Analysis	[25]-[28]
Consonants	[89]
Rule of Spelling	[102]
Fifth Month.
Word Analysis	[28]-[32]
Silent Letters—Principle	[93]
Rule of Spelling	[102]
Sixth Month.
Word Analysis	[32]-[38]
Silent Letters—Principle	[94]
Principle of Pronunciation	[96]
Seventh Month.
Word Analysis	[38]-[43]
Silent Letters—Principle	[94]
Principle of Pronunciation	[97]
Eighth Month.
Word Analysis	[44]-[48]
Silent Letters—Principle	[95]
Principle of Pronunciation	[97]
Eighth Year.
First Month.
Word Analysis	[49]-[55]
Syllables	[90]
Silent Letters—Principle	[95]
Second Month.
Word Analysis	[55]-[59]
Accent	[91]
Silent Letters—Principle	[95]
Third Month.
Word Analysis	[59]-[63]
Words	[92]
Silent Letters—Principle	[95]
Fourth Month.
Word Analysis	[63]-[66]
Silent Letters—Principle	[95]
Principle of Pronunciation	[97]
Fifth Month.
Word Analysis	[66]-[70]
Silent Letters—Principle	[96]
Principle of Pronunciation	[98]
Sixth Month.
Word Analysis	[70]-[73]
Silent Letters—Principle	[96]
Principle of Pronunciation	[98]
Seventh Month.
Word Analysis	[73]-[80]
Silent Letters—Principle	[96]
Principle of Pronunciation	[99]
Eighth Month.
Word Analysis	[80]-[84]
Silent Letters—Principle	[96]
Principle of Pronunciation	[99]
Reference Table of Suffixes	[105]
Index to Roots, Prefixes, and Suffixes	[106]-[107]