1861. 



QA7 ISeiui-vowel Diphthongs. 



quiescent, as in dinnh and yonng ; but in the middle of words, they 

 are distinctly sounded, as in slmnher and finyer. The relation be- 

 tween the three nasals is more intimate than between any other three 

 letters ; indeed, they seem to be mere shades of one general nasal 

 sound, each peculiar shade beinji; determined by its following mute. 

 This we see especially illustrated in the Greek compounds with <ruy 

 and h. In this language, the guttural n, for which we have no par- 

 ticular sign in P]nglish, is represented by y. Thus, before the labials, 

 we find (Toij., as in (roij-iti-co and (Toij.i3ahaj, before the dentals cryv, as 

 in (TU'^Tzi'/oj and ffu>dioj, and before the gutturals ffoy, as in aoyy.akio) 

 and (TOYyiy'^oimi. The tendency of changing m into n before dentals 

 is so strong that in order to preserve m before t, we must fortify it by 

 the insertion of ji;, as in contempt, attempt; hence, also, the double 

 forms ti.mpto and tento in Latin. 3/ we find preserved before d, by 

 the insertion of /9 in the Greek L'imhda. Neither n or luf are ever 

 found before the labials, except in compound words, as in hrain-pan, 

 Ior((/-Lont, &c. ; nor do we find m and the dental n before gutturals 

 except in like cases, as in (jlmvrack, mankind. 



The scmi-vowels combine very readily with the fluid consonants, 

 both at the beginning and at the end of syllables. With /•, in the 

 beginning of words, we find //* in free^ fhr in three, shr in sJiriuf (.sr is 

 only found in compositions, as in moss-rose)] at the end of words, we 

 find //in (hear/, rv in starve, rth in north, rs in horse, rsh in harsh, 

 r^ in Germ, durch. With /, in the beginning of words, are found 

 Ji \u flow, si in sloio, shl in German, schlau, and in the compound 

 rashly, thl m faithless ; at the end of words, 1/ in self (when pre- 

 ceded by a, I before /is quiescent, e. <j. ealf, half), lu in delve, Is in 

 pvlse, Ith in health, hh in Welsh, ly in Germ, welch. With m, in 

 the beginning of words, we find sm in smart, shni in Germ, schmieren, 

 and in the Qomi^awu^ hash-meat {fni and thm are only found in com- 

 positions, e. g. deaf-mute, Northmen) ; at the end of words, mf in 

 nymph (Germ, dumpf, &c., where p is interposed between m and/), 

 mth in warmth, ms in plurals of nouns ending in m, c. g. hams, 

 gems, ntsh in redemption, and in compounds, as sttam-ship, and my 

 in German compounds, e. g. BlUmehen. With n, in the beginning 

 of wards, we find sn in snow, shn in Germ. Schnee (^fn and thn are 

 only found in compounds, as in st'ffness, vncouthness) ; at the end 

 of words, nf in Germ. /7«/, and English compounds, e. g. manful, 

 nth in month, ns in chance, pens, &c. ; nsh in mansion, and in punch, 

 where there seems to be a slight touch of the / after n, nzh in sineg, 

 ny in Germ. Munch. Combinations of the guttural n and the fluid 



