FOOTNOTES:
[61] These forms are found, for instance, at the beginning of questions; thus have you been there? is [həv ju bijn ðɛə]. They are also found after vowels, e.g., I had done so, [ai həd dʌn sou].
[63] When contrasted with inhale, this word is also pronounced [eksheil].
[64] The change in the quality of the vowel is interesting; possibly don't preserves the old pronunciation of the vowel in do.
[65] Strictly speaking the s of the plural was always voiced in the older language, and it is in cats, tips that we have assimilation.
[66] The first d is sometimes heard in the pronunciation of this word.
[67] It should, however, be noted that in passing from [m] to [t] there is a transitional sound or "glide" which has the value of a faint [p].
[68] The c in victuals and indict has no etymological justification, as may be seen from the middle English spelling (vitaille, endite).
[69] For syllabic m see § 22; for syllabic n, § 24; for syllabic l, § 33.
[70] The mark ´ precedes the stressed syllable.
APPENDIX I
Exercises.
1. How is -ious pronounced in gracious, bilious, victorious?
2. How is -ion pronounced in motion, onion, criterion, vision, and Ionian?
3. How is -ial pronounced in labial, judicial, martial, partiality?
4. What difference in pronunciation, if any, do you make between hire and higher, lyre and liar, cure and (s)kewer, alms and arms?
5. Consider the value of oar in roar and in roaring, and the value of air in pair and in pairing.
6. Determine the vowel sounds corresponding to the italicized letters in child, children; woman, women; read (infinitive), read (past participle); say, says; dream, dreamed; leap, leaped; hear, heard; can, can't; do, don't; gentleman, gentlemen.
7. Write in transcript the words italicized:
a. I have learned much from this learned man.
b. He has aged a good deal. He is aged.
c. I used to use it; you used it too.
Try to account for the pronunciation of used in the sense of "was accustomed" (see § 49).
8. Transcribe your pronunciation of halfpenny, twopence, threepence. Show the difference between the English and the French pronunciation of franc, and between the English and the German pronunciation of mark.
9. A waiter was heard to remark pathetically that he never could tell whether a customer wanted "cold lamb" or "cold ham." What caused his uncertainty?
10. The pronunciation of the children of Walworth attending the Church schools has given much concern to Canon Horsley, who says that in their speech "I've been to take her home" becomes "binter tiker rome," "Oh, shake hands" becomes "ow shy cans," and "I've been having a game" becomes "binnavinagime." Consider the pronunciation suggested by this rough transcription, transcribe it more carefully, and comment on such features of the Walworth dialect as it illustrates.
11. You are familiar with the term "alliteration," and know that it is a favourite device of cheap journalism. Criticise the alliteration in the following scare-lines: CITY CLERK CHASED. THIEF TAKEN. SOLICITOR SHOT.
12. Mention words in which the following letters are written but not sounded: b, g, gh, k, l, m, n, t, w.
13. Comment on the following statement: "The letters l and r are called trills, because there is a vibration in the sounds, or in some part of the vocal apparatus by which we pronounce them."
14. Consider this statement: "The ai in fair, ea in lead, ie in field, ei in receive, are none of them true diphthongs; they are more or less clumsy ways of showing the length of an elementary vowel-sound."
15. "English has two e sounds, as in fed, feed, and four u sounds, as in but, pull, fur, fool." Do you agree with this?
16. Why does crystal look nicer than kristle, which represents the same sounds? Account for such spellings as Edythe, Smythe, Whyte.
17. Say quickly but distinctly:
She sells sea-shells in a salt-fish shop.
Is Stephen Smith's son a smith too?
How many houses had Harry Hall?
Long and loudly little Lily laughed.
The skilled dentist extracted the three teeth.
Do you want the thick thread or the thin?
In silence he sat on the sands by the silvery sea.
A boat is floating over the ocean.
With a loud shout he came out of the house.
The first question Charles asked was strange.
Three grey geese in the green grass grazing.
18. Discuss the old-fashioned form of address "mine host." Do you say "an historical novel"? "a (or an) hotel at Folkestone"? How do you pronounce "the Grand Hotel"? Transcribe your pronunciation of "I gave her her hat."
19. What is the derivation of ventriloquist? Does the term correctly indicate the way in which ventriloquists produce their sounds? Which sounds do you think most likely to give them difficulty?
20. In the French of the 12th century l under certain circumstances became a vowel; thus altre became autre and chevals became chevaus. How do you explain this change? Point to a similar change in English.
21. How would you teach a foreigner to pronounce the English th sounds?
22. Little children say pease for please, gamma or granma for grandma, dess for dress, tocking for stocking. Illustrate the tendency shown in these examples from the speech of grown-up people.
23. Comment on the little child's pronunciation of tsain for chain, fee for three, noder for another, and bafyoom for bathroom.
24. Consider carefully the question, why the pronunciation of a foreign language presents difficulties; draw on any foreign language you know for illustrations.
25. The Latin camera is our chamber, numerus our number, Latin humilis our humble, Latin similare our (re)semble. Account for the b in the English words.
26. Consider the value of ure in sure, pure, nature, figure.
27. What light is thrown on the pronunciation of the past by the following quotations:
(a) While he, withdrawn, at their mad labour smiles,
And safe enjoys the Sabbath of his toils. (Dryden.)
(b) Dreading even fools, by flatterers besieg'd,
And so obliging that he ne'er oblig'd. (Pope.)
(c) Cóntemplate is bad enough, but bálcony makes me sick. (Rogers.)
(d) The dame, of manner various, temper fickle,
Now all for pleasure, now the conventicle. (Colman.)
(e) There is little doubt that in the pronunciation of successor the antepenultimate accent will prevail. (Walker.)
(f) To ketch [catch] him at a vantage in his snares. (Spenser.)
(g) Yet he was kind, or, if severe in aught,
The love he bore to learning was in fault. (Goldsmith.)
28. Determine which sounds are represented by ea in the following words: bear, beard, bread, bead, yea, create, realm, leap, leapt, hearken; and by eo in the following words: yeoman, people, leopard, re-open.
29. Determine which sounds are represented by oi in the following words: boil, heroic, choir, tortoise, turquoise, coincide; and by ou in the following words: south, southern, mourn, journal, though, thought, uncouth.
30. Determine which sounds are represented by g in the following words: gem, goal, gaol, gill, gibberish, fatigue, gnaw; and by ough in the following words: trough, through, thorough, sough, cough, rough, plough, lough.
31. A character in one of Miss Braddon's novels says: "Supernumery—it's no use, I don't think anybody ever did know how many syllables there are in that word." What is it that leads to the shortening of this word in uneducated speech? Mention similar cases of shortening.
APPENDIX II
Lists of Words with Phonetic Transcription.
Note.
The accent shows that the following syllable has the chief stress.
As these lists are intended for the use of English students, it has been thought sufficient to let [e] represent the first vowel sound and the second vowel sound in very.
The variation in length of [ij] and other diphthongs and of [m, n, l], etc., has not been indicated.
Words which have occurred in the text of the book are not repeated here.
When two pronunciations are given, both may be considered as common; the first is generally to be preferred. If, however, a pronunciation is enclosed in brackets, it is to be regarded as faulty.