!B6].] S45 [Semi-vowel Diphthongs. 



always next to the vowel ; thus, when the semi-vowel diphthong is 

 in the beginning of a word, the semi-vowel is always in the second 

 place, c. <j., prow, grow, phiigh, true, &c. ; and when it is at the end 

 of a word, the semi-vowel is always in the first place, e. g., horp, 

 heart, lark, salt, hand, &c. These combinations, therefore, clearly 

 indicate that the semi-vowels are an intermediate species of sound 

 between the vowels and consonants. 



§ 22. Of the two sounds r and /, again, the former seems to take 

 the precedence, inasmuch as we find combinations of rl, e. g., suarl, 

 girl, hurl, &c., but never any of Ir, except in compositions, e. g., 

 hill-road ; and while combinations of r and the nasals, e. g., arm, 

 ham, &c., are all stable, / becomes quiescent before m and n, when 

 preceded by a and o, e. g , calm, halm, holm. Holmes, auhi ; still we 

 find dm, film, stulm. In kdn, it is the 7i, which is rendered quies- 

 cent. 



Whenever r and I are preceded by the nasals, the afiBnity of the 

 latter for their respective consonants is developed. Thus, tumle 

 (Germ, iaumeln) is changed into tumhle, numer (Lat. numerus) into 

 numher (French nomhre), ciner (Lat. cinerem) into cinder (French 

 rendre'), thunner (Germ. Donner) into thunder, spinn el (to spin) into 

 spindle. After Qig in young, another g is inserted, as in younger, 

 hungry, wrangle. This second g is plainly noticed in the pronun- 

 ciation, but it is not expressed in spelling. This peculiarity of in- 

 serting the mutes is derived to the English from the French, where 

 we find viendrai, nomhre epingle (Lat. spinula); while in German 

 we find Donner, Numer, hungrig (pronounce hung-rig), Jiinger (l^vo- 

 nouncejung-er). A similar tendency of inserting the mutes is no- 

 ticed in Latin and Greek, especially in the latter, where we find 

 ;).iii^Xw/.a, ap.ftlijyio for aiwlwio, a/iftpuTo^, d->>opuq instead of d'^ipo^, 

 &,Q. (See R. F. Weymouth on the liquids, in relation to certain 

 mutes, in Transactions of the Philological Society, London, 1856.) 



The combination of two nasal semi-vowels is incapable of being 

 pronounced except when it is medial, as in autumnal. When it is 

 final, one of its constituent members is suppressed, as in autumn, 

 condemn, limn, where the letter n is not pronounced. In French it 

 is just the opposite, and the letter m is made quiescent, as in con- 

 damner, automne, &c. 



§ 23. Concerning the combination of the semi-vowels with the 

 consonants, it was noticed above that in the beginning of words the 

 semi-vowels always follow, as in prow, clown, and at the end of words 

 tliey always precede, as in harh, pelt, &c. We, moreover, noticed 



