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X. Inquiries in the Elements of Phonetics* . 

 By C. B. Cayley, Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge. 



To the Editors of the Philosophical Magazine and Journal. 



Gentlemen, 

 SCHEME of Consonants. — Liquid Aspirates. — I start with 

 *^ that scheme which has the authority of Messrs. Latham 

 and Whewell (waiving some undecided points), to which I 

 would make a few additions. I denote, for convenience, the 

 aspirates (so called perhaps fitly, as the breathing is more 

 heard in them) universally by adding to the corresponding 

 non-aspirates a small //, which thus becomes a symbol from a 

 letter, and I make J, suitably to its form and origin, stand for 

 German J, English Y. 



Sharp. Flat. Liquid. 



P Ph B Bh M . . W 



T Th DDh N 



K Kh GGh L . . J 



S Sh Z Zh R . . (place uncertain) 



I observe that the flat consonants appear formed from the 

 sharp by an effort (to make their sound stronger and more 

 continuous), which also, being repeated, converts the flat into 

 the liquid. This effort has not prevented, in the flat order, the 

 introduction of the second force of aspiration as in the sharp: 

 hence there is some reason to conjecture that the liquids might 

 be susceptible of this force. In short, the symmetry of the 

 system requires an order of liquid aspirates, which might be 

 written Mh, Nh, Lh, Rh. May we not identify Mh with 

 French m or n nasal, Nh with English Ng, Lh with Welsh 

 LI, Rh with Arabic Ghain ? 



Concerning the latter two, my chief difficulty is to know 

 whether they are simple or compound sounds ; but 



The Welsh LI is stated in Davis's Grammar to be the aspi- 

 rate of L, pronounced by pressing the tongue against the 

 teeth on both sides with a forcible emission of breath. 



The Arabic Ghain is described by De Sacy as a sound resem- 

 bling R and G, " comme PR graissaye des Provencaux." We 

 often hear imperfect pronunciations of R which might give 

 the idea of this secondary liquid. 



But I shall chiefly insist on Mh or m nasal, because it coin- 

 cides with J^and V, the aspirates as M with B, iVwith D, &c. 

 Compare the pronunciation of combaitre, entendre, enfant, 

 eftvahir; likewise it has the same resemblance to the dental N, 

 which Ph, Bh being formed by the teeth in part have to Th 

 (whence the confusion made by children in those sounds, and 

 * From letters addressed to Mr. Latham. 



