54 



ting a more delicate current of voice, prevented from form- 

 ing the sound of "s" or "z" by the approach of the soft 

 surface of the tongue so near as to render the sound quite 

 smooth. 



"What are called the long English vowels, "a," "i," and 

 "o," appear to the committee to be, in each instance, diph- 

 thongal ; and they think that this will appear if these vowels 

 are much prolonged in their pronunciation. Thus, if we ex- 

 press the force of "e" in the English word "there" by the 

 character "e," and the common sound of "e," as in "me," 

 by the simple letter "e," long "a" will appear to be com- 

 posed, consecutively, of "e" and "e," which we may write 

 e-e, or if greatly prolonged, e-e-e-e-e-e. 



"I" seems to be composed of "a" as in "ah," and in vari- 

 ous French words ; followed by "e," as when called long " e." 

 Thus, if we express "a," as in "ah," by "a/' and use the 

 common "e,". we shall find "i" to be "a©," or, when pro- 

 longed, a-a-a-a-e-e. 



"0" they would form by a sound not used in English in 

 its simple form, that of "6" in the French word "dome;" 

 (a sound which does not seem to them identical with English 

 "u" in "cut;") and to this they would add the sound of 

 "oo:" "o" would then be "o-oo," or, if prolonged, 6-6-6-6- 

 00-00. It is believed to be impossible to elongate "a," "i," 

 or "ii," as can be done with every simple vowel, without 

 dwelling on one or other of the above initial or concluding 

 sounds. 



