CHAPTER IV.

EUPHONY; THE PERMUTATION AND THE TRANSITION OF LETTERS.

[§ 224]. 1. Let there be two syllables, of which the one ends in m, and the other begins with r, as we have in the syllables num- and -rus of the Latin word numerus.

2. Let an ejection of the intervening letters bring these two syllables into immediate contact, numrus. The m and r form an unstable combination. To remedy this there is a tendency (mark, not an absolute necessity) to insert an intervening sound.

In English, the form which the Latin word numerus takes is number; in Spanish, nombre. The b makes no part of the original word, but has been inserted for the sake of euphony; or, to speak more properly, by a euphonic process. The word euphony is derived from εὖ (well), and φώνη (fônæ, a voice). The province of euphony has not been very accurately determined.

[§ 225]. In the word number, nombre, the letter inserted was b; and for b being the particular letter employed, there is a reason derived from the system of articulate sounds.

1. That the letter inserted should be a consonant is evident. The vowel e (in numerus) had been previously ejected.

2. That it should be a mute is evident. A liquid would have given the unstable or unpronounceable combinations mnr, mlr, mrr, mmr.

3. That it should be a consonant, either of series b or of series s, was natural; it being series b and series s with which m and r are respectively connected.

4. That it should be a consonant of series b, rather than one of series s, we collect from the fact that msr (numsrus) or mzr (numzrus) give inharmonious, and, consequently, unstable combinations.

5. That of the b series, it should be b or v (flat) rather than p or f (sharp), we infer from the fact of m and r both being flat.

6. Of v and b, the latter alone gives a stable combination, so that we have the Spanish form nombre, and not nomvre.

In this we have an illustration of the use of attending to the nature and connections of articulate sounds in general.

[§ 226]. The affinity of m for the series b, of n for the series t, gives occasion to further euphonic changes. The combinations mt, md, mþ, mð, are unstable. The syllables emt, emd, are liable to one of two modifications. Either p or b will be inserted, and so make them empt (as in tempt), embd (as in Embden), or else the m will become n, forming the syllable ent, end, enþ, enð.

Similar tendencies, in a certain degree, affect the combinations enp, enb. They are liable to become emp, or emb. Any one may see that the word enperor embarrasses the utterance.

[§ 227]. The combination tupt is stable, so also is the combination tuft. But the combination tupth is unstable: since the p is lene, the þ is a (so-called) aspirate. Hence arises a process of accommodation by which the word becomes either tupt or tufth (tufþ).

In respect to the unstable combination tupth, we may observe this, viz. that the ways of altering it are two. Either the first letter may be accommodated to the second, tufþ, or the second may be accommodated to the first, tupt. Which of these two changes shall take place is determined by the particular habit of the language. In Greek we add to the radical syllable τυπ-, the inflectional syllable -θην. The first letter, π, is accommodated to the second, θ, and the word becomes τυφθην (tyfþæn), as in ἐτύφθην (etyfþæn). In English we add to the radical syllable stag, the inflectional syllable s. Here the second letter is accommodated to the first, and the resulting word is not staks, but stagz.

[§ 228]. The Irish Gaelic, above most other languages, illustrates a euphonic principle that modifies the vowels of a word. The vowels a, o, u, are full, whilst i, e, y, are small. Now if to a syllable containing a small vowel, as buil, there be added

a syllable containing a broad one, as -am, a change takes place. Either the first syllable is accommodated to the second, or the second to the first; so that the vowels respectively contained in them are either both full or both small. Hence arises, in respect to the word quoted, either the form bualam, or else the form builim.

[§ 229]. In the words give and gave we have a change of tense expressed by a change of vowel. In the words price and prize a change of meaning is expressed by a change of consonant. In clothe and clad there is a change both of a vowel and of a consonant. In the words to use and a use there is a similar change, although it is not expressed by the spelling. To the ear the verb to use ends in z, although not to the eye. The following are instances of the permutation of letters.

Permutation of Vowels.

a to ĕ, as man, men.
a to oo, as stand, stood.
a to u, as dare, durst.
a to ē, as was, were.
ea to o, as speak, spoken.
ea=ĕ to ea=ē, as breath, breathe.
ee to ĕ, as deep, depth.
ea to o, as bear, bore.
i to a, as spin, span.
i to u, as spin, spun.
i=ei to o, as smite, smote.
i=ei to ĭ, as smite, smitten.
i to a, as give, gave.
i=ei to a, as rise, raise.
ĭ to e, as sit, set.
ow to ew, as blow, blew.
o to e, as strong, strength.
oo to ee, as tooth, teeth.
o to i, as top, tip.
o to e, as old, elder; tell, told.
ŏ to e, as brother, brethren.
ō=oo to i, as do, did.
o=oo to o=ŭ, as do, done.
oo to o, as choose, chose.

Permutation of Consonants.

f to v, life, live; calf, calves.
þ to ð, breath, to breathe.
ð to d, seethe, sod; clothe, clad.
d to t, build, built.
s to z, use, to use.
s to r, was, were; lose, forlorn.

In have and had we have the ejection of a sound; in work and wrought, the transposition of one. Important changes are undergone by the sounds k, g, and the allied ones nk, ng, y, as will be seen in the chapter on verbs.

Permutation of Combinations.

ie=i to ow, as grind, ground.
ow to i=ei, as mouse, mice; cow, kine.
ink to augh, as drink, draught.
ing to ough, as bring, brought.
y (formerly g), ough, as buy, bought.
igh=ei to ough, as fight, fought.
eek to ough, as seek, sought.

It must be noticed that the list above is far from being an exhaustive one. The expression too of the changes undergone has been rendered difficult on account of the imperfection of our orthography. The whole section has been written in illustration of the meaning of the word permutation, rather than for any specific object in grammar.

[§ 230]. In all the words above the change of sound has been brought about by the grammatical inflection of the word wherein it occurs. This is the case with the words life and live, and with all the rest. With the German word leben, compared with the corresponding word live, in English, the change is similar. It is brought about, however, not by a grammatical inflection, but by a difference of time, and by a difference of place. This indicates the distinction between the permutation of letters and the transition of letters. In dealing with permutations, we compare different parts of speech; in dealing with transitions, we compare different languages, or different stages of a single language.