So much for the nature of the vowels. The semi-vowels are as follows. They are eight in number, and five of them are simple, viz. λ, μ, ν, ρ, and σ, while three are double, viz. ζ, ξ, ψ. They are called double either because they are composite, receiving a distinctive sound through the coalescence respectively of σ and δ into ζ, of κ and σ into ξ, and of π and σ into ψ; or because they each occupy the room of two letters in the syllables where they are found. Of these semi-vowels, the double are superior to the single, since they are ampler than the others and seem to approximate more to perfect letters. The simple ones are inferior because their sounds are confined within smaller spaces. They are severally pronounced somewhat as follows: λ by the tongue rising to the palate, and by the windpipe helping the sound; μ by the mouth being closed tight by means of the lips, while the breath is divided and passes through the nostrils; ν by the tongue intercepting the current of the breath, and diverting the sound towards the nostrils; ρ by the tip of the tongue sending forth the breath in puffs and rising to the palate
1 κροῦσις R: κρίσις EF: κρότησις PVs 2 οὐκ ἐπιλαμπρυνόντων] οὐκέτι λαμπρυνόντων P 3 εὔμορφον REF: εὔηχον PMVs 4 δυσειδὲς REF: δυσηχὲς PMVs || τοῦ ε̄ τὸ ο̄ Us.: τὸ ε̄ REFMV, τὸ ο̄ Ps 5 καὶ τὴν REF: τὴν δὲ PMVs 8 ὀκτὼ RF: ὀκτὼ γὰρ EPMVs || πέντε] ε̄ PVs 9 διπλὰ δὲ τρία F, RbE: διπλᾶ δὲ καὶ τρία Ra: τρία (γ̄ P) δὲ διπλᾶ PMVs 11 τοῦ δ̄ καὶ τοῦ σ̄ Ra: τοῦ δ̄ καὶ σ̄ Rb 13 ἰδίαν RF: καὶ ἰδίαν PMVs 14 παραλαμβανόμενον ἕκαστον RF: παραλαμβανόμενα. ἑκάστου PMVs 17 βραχυτέρους F: βαρυτέρους R: βραχυτέρους αὐτῶν E, PM 18 τόπους RFM2: τόνους EPM1Vs 20 ἱσταμένης REF: ἀνισταμένης PMVs || συνηχούσης REF: συνηχούσης τὸ πνεῦμα M: συνεχούσης τὸ πνεῦμα PVs 21 διὰ τῶν ... (23) πνεύματος REFM: om. P 22 ν̄] π̄ R 23 τοὺς ῥώθωνας RPMs: τὸν ῥώθωνα FE 24 ἀπορριπιζούσης RF: ἀπορραπιζούσης EVs: ἀποραπιζούσης (ρ alt. suprascr.) P, M
1. μικρὸν ἀνοιγομένου: “no limitation is necessary, the lips may be as open for our ee as for our ah, but they may also be slightly open from the centre to the corners, no part being in contact,” A. J. E.
2. “There can be no doubt that our ee is meant, and, although this is usually considered to be a ‘bright’ sound, it will be found that if, while singing it, and without moving the tongue, the lips be as much closed as for oo, the result, which will be French u, is much more musical. Whatever doubt may remain from this description of the precise shades of sound, there can be none that η, υ, ι had different sounds, as indeed transcripts of Greek into Latin letters and Latin into Greek letters shew that they had, partially at least, down to the 12th century A.D., although the confusion was complete in the 15th, as it has since remained. Dionysius does not describe the diphthongs ΑΥ, ΕΥ, or the digraphs ΑΙ, ΕΙ, ΟΙ, ΟΥ,” A. J. E.
5. “This would best suit our aw in awn shortened, that is, very nearly our o in on. Short ε is not referred to, nor the short sounds of α, ι, υ,” A. J. E.
11. For the pronunciation of ζ see Introduction, p. 44, and cp. Dionysius Thrax Ars Gramm. § 7 (Uhlig p. 14): ἔτι δὲ τῶν συμφώνων διπλᾶ μέν ἐστι τρία· ζ̄, ξ̄, ψ̄. διπλᾶ δὲ εἴρηται, ὅτι ἓν ἕκαστον αὐτῶν ἐκ δύο συμφώνων σύγκειται, τὸ μὲν ζ̄ ἐκ τοῦ σ̄ καὶ δ̄, τὸ δὲ ξ̄ ἐκ τοῦ κ̄ καὶ σ̄, τὸ δὲ ψ̄ ἐκ τοῦ π̄ καὶ σ̄.—For the late use of διά (with the genitive) of the means or material by or of which a thing is composed cp. [154] 10 and [180] 6; also Antiqq. Rom. i. ἐν ὄρεσι τὰ πολλὰ πηξαμένοις διὰ ξύλων καὶ καλάμων σκηνὰς αὐτορόφους.
17. ἥττω ... ἦχον: a true phonetic explanation.
20. For m and n in Greek and Latin (especially at the end of clauses) cp. Quintil. xii. 10. 31 “Quid? quod pleraque nos illa quasi mugiente littera cludimus M, in quam nullum Graece verbum cadit: at illi ny iucundam et in fine praecipue quasi tinnientem illius loco ponunt, quae est apud nos rarissima in clausulis.”
25. οὐρανὸν ... ὀδόντων. Demosthenes’ difficulty in pronouncing this letter (the trilled palato-dental r) is well known: e.g. Quintil. i. 11. 5 “(rho littera), qua Demosthenes quoque laboravit.”