188].] 865 [Consonantal Triphthongs. 



ashed, and numberless combinations with the semi-vowels, as in arms, 

 hams, elms, kilns, harps, herbs, jjar^?, herds, parks, helps, Lulbs, 

 salts, kc, and with t or (/, in limped, linked, starved, singed, &c. 



Among dissyllables and polysyllables generally we may distinguish 

 three classes of words : 1, Such as have become dissyllables by pre- 

 fixes, as enclose, compylete, &c. 2. By suffixes, as kindred, children, ; 

 and 3, such as are regular compounds of two nouns, adjectives, &c., 

 as landmark, bookcase, &c. Those of the last-named class are ne- 

 cessarily not as closely conjoined as the former, and there is no end, 

 consequently, to the triphthongs that may be obtained in this manner, 

 as in beartrap, bedstead, beefsteak, blacksmith, &c. Those triph- 

 thongs which are obtained by prefixes, are limited to combinations 

 beginning with b, k, s, m, n, and r. With b, we find them in 

 abstain, obscure, substance; with k in extirp, with s in disgrace, 

 m in circumspect, complain, employ, improve, n in congress, inflate, 

 r in perspire. A greater freedom prevails in the combinations ob- 

 tained by suffixes, as in pcdtry, spinster, &c. ; or where the second 

 noun of the composition has dwindled down to a mere suffix, as in 

 palfrey, of.preij, &c. Among this class we distinguish three kinds 

 of composition, 1, where the first and third members are semi-vowels, 

 and where there is a consonant in the middle, as m fortress, culprit, 

 kindred, &c. 2, where the semi-vowel is the first member, and is 

 followed by two consonants, as in bolster, spinster, &c., and 3, where 

 the semi-vowel is the last member, and is preceded by two conso- 

 nants, as in frustrate, osprey. The greatest number of combinations 

 we find in the first class. With r as first and last members, we find 

 rtr m fortress, portress, Bertram, Gertrude; with r first and Z last, 

 rglm burglar; with r first and m last, rtm in department, mort- 

 main. With / first and r last, we find Ipr in culprit, Ifrm palfrey, 

 Itr in filtrate, paltry, sultry, Idr in caldron, children, Ikr in ful- 

 crum. With m first and r last, we find mpr in lamprey, mbr in 

 cambric, membrane, mfr in Jlumfrey ; with m first and I last, mpl 

 in templar, exemplar, mbl in tumbler, gambler. With n first and r 

 last, we find ntr in sentry, entry, huntress, ndr in kindred, tendril, 

 hundred ; with n first and I last, ntl in gauntlet. With guttural n 

 and ;•, we find ngr in hungry. Among the combinations of the 

 second class, with the semi-vowel first and two consonants afterwards, 

 we find combinations with r in torsten, with I in holster, soldier, 

 with m in Simpson, redemption, sumpter, rhymster, with n in 

 spinster, with guttural n in sphincter, tungsten. Among those 

 triphthongs ending in semi-vowels, we find str in frustrate, ostrich, 



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