Expounding the Nature of the Letters, and the manner how they are formed.
Hitherto we have treated concerning the Voice and Breath, and of the manner of the formation of both of them, in general; now let us see how the said Voice and Breath are, as a fit Matter for them, framed into such or such Letters; for the Voice and Breath are alone the material part of Letters, but the form of them is to be sought out from the various Configurations of those hollow Channels, thorough which they pass; Letters therefore, not as they be certain Characters, but as they are Pronounced or Spoken, are the Voice and Breath, diversly Figured by the Instruments ordained for the Speech.
But here we must be pre-admonished concerning the Letters; that there is a great Latitude almost amongst them all, and that one and the same Character is not pronounced by one and the same Configuration of the Mouth, yea, in one and the same Language; thus [a] and [e] sometimes are sounded open, and sometimes close; also [o] hath its own Latitude, so as many other Letters also may have; yea, as many as are the divers Modes, by which the Voice and Breath can be Figured, by the Organs of Speech; but the most easie, only, and the most Conspicuous are received by all Nations, whose number never almost exceedeth Twenty four, and have certain Characters annexed to them: But seeing that these Characters are not every where pronounced alike, yea, one and the same Letter sometimes is variously sounded by one and the same People, therefore I have made choice of the German Letters, which are of my Mother-Tongue, and the most Simple of all Letters, to be examined in this place: in as much as they are for the most part sounded every where alike, their Vowels are very Simple, and agreeable to the nature of the thing, the Diphthongs compounded of them, do retain the Nature of their compounding Vowels, because they are always heard pronounced in them, otherwise, than as it is in most other Languages, which they stile living ones; for sometimes they make their Diphthongs out of the most Simple Vowels, as are [au] [ou] [ai] amongst the French, and [oe] and [eu] amongst the Dutch, or else they have such improper Diphthongs, that scarce either of their compounding Vowels can be heard, such are [oi] of the French, and [uy] of the Dutch, not to mention more Examples, or else they are variously sounded according to their various Placings, so as if I were to teach some Deaf French-man, I would from the beginning teach him, not the French, but the German Letters, or else he would be plainly confounded. Nor is the state of the Consonants in better case for the Pronunciation of some of them, is so very different, that there are scarce two Nations, which pronounce the Character [g] after the same manner.
But in the German Alphabet, that which most disliketh me, is, their Order; which, in good truth, is none; because scarce two Letters of the same rank do follow mutually after one another, which would render the information of Deaf Persons to be so much the more difficult; wherefore I have reduced them into this following order, which seemed to me to be the most natural.
a. e. i. j. y. o. u. ä. ö. ü. m. n. ng. l. r. h. g. ch. s. f. v. k. c. q. d. t. b. p. x. z.
To those who observe well, it will from this order alone, appear, that I have divided this whole Alphabet into Vowels, Semi-vowels, and Consonants. The Vowels are a Voice or Sound modified by a various opening of the Mouth only, and are either Simple, or Uniform, as a. e. i. j. y. o. u. w. Or else they are mixt, which out of two, do so melt down into one, as that they are pronounced together, and are different from Diphthongs, in as much as their Vowels are successively pronounced: Now these mixt Vowels, are ä. ö. ü. which some Nations either have not at all, or else do write them evilly; but of the manner of Formation, more shall be said hereafter.
The Semi-vowels are a middle sort between the Genuine Voice, and a Simple Breath, and may at pleasure be brought forth in the manner as Vowels are; and they are either of the Nose, or Nasall such are m. n. ng. or else they be of the Mouth, or Orall, as l. r. Consonants are a Simple Breath, not sonorous, yet variously modified, and are of three kinds:
For they are either pronounced successively, and may be produced at pleasure, as g. ch. s. f. v.
Or are suddainly shot forth; which upon that score I call them explosive, as k. c. q. t. d. b. p.
Or else being Compounded out of two foregoing ones, their number is diverse in divers Nations; the Germans have two; viz. x. and z.