Tufel.] 363 [October. 



ly. Combinations of Four Consonants and Semi- vowels, 



a. By Composition of two Nouns : 



In feldspar, pahgrave, spemlthrift, &c. 



b. Bi/ Prefixes : 



In explain, ejcpressj extra, instruct, obstruct. 



c. By Siijfixes: 



In minstrel, temptress, seamstress, songstress, clextrah 



CHAPTER XII. 



SYLLABIFICATION. 



§ 39. We may look upon the words of language from two points 

 of view. First, we may take an etymological, and, secondly, a pho- 

 nological view of them. 



Etymology teaches us that in the Arian family of languages all 

 stems were originally monosyllabic. These, in the course of time, 

 by derivation, became polysyllabic. Etymology very carefully points 

 out these monosyllabic stems, and explains the origin and the use of 

 the several prefixes and suffixes which were subsequently added to 

 them. An etymological division of a word into its component parts, 

 therefore, consists in its resolution into those syllables of which it 

 had been originally composed. 



Phonology proceeds otherwise. It takes the words of language as 

 it finds them, without investigating the manner in which they have 

 been produced. Phonologically considered, each word is composed 

 of one or several articulations or joints. Each of these joints con- 

 sists of a vowel which is either entirely open, as in /, a-orta, o-asis, 

 ide-a, or else partially or entirely surrounded by semi-vowels and con- 

 sonants, as in to, in, imt, sport. The joints are called open when the 

 vowels arc not followed by any semi-vowels or consonants, as in .so, 

 me, di-al, hri-ar, &c., and they are called closed when they arc fol- 

 lowed by one, two, or three consonants and semi-vowels, as in an, 

 ship, park, thirst. Each word maybe divided into its respective 

 joints, but these joints arc not the same with the etymological sylla- 

 bles. Sometimes they agree, as in monosyllables ; but, in polysylla- 

 bles, they very frequently disagree. 



In order to tell correctly the phonological articulations or joints of 

 words, we must have clear ideas of the manner in which the several 



