Tafel.] 37Q [October. 



the long vowel is followed by an explodentj there is actually a break 

 between the two; for the initial element of an explodent, after a long 

 vowel; is silent, while that of a continuant is heard. Compare pa-per 

 and dai-mant. This also applies to those words where the semi- vowels 

 r and I furnish the vowel element of the second syllables. The break 

 in these words is immediately after the long vowels, as in sa-hre, ni- 

 tre, a-cre, o-gre, sta-ple, a-hle, hi-hle, tl-tle, cra-dle, ea-gle. When 

 the preceding vowel is short, the initial element of the following con- 

 tinuants or explodents is intimately connected with it. This, therefore, 

 forms a part of the first joint, but their final element is just as inti- 

 mately connected with the following vowel, and, therefore, forms a 

 part of the following joint. With the continuants, therefore, when 

 a word is pronounced slowly, there is an indentation, and, with the 

 explodents, a break between their initial and final elements whenever 

 they are preceded by short vowels. 



On account of the clear enunciation of both elements of the medial 

 continuants and explodents, when preceded by a short vowel, they are 

 frequently doubled in spelling, as in hammer, honnet, marry, hlossom, 

 coffer, rabbit, hJadder, waggon, &c. The first letter, in these in- 

 stances, stands for the initial, and the second for the final element; 

 but, sometimes, the short vowels are followed by single continuants 

 and explodents, as in rapid, rohin, Latin, timid,valor, arid. The ques- 

 tion here arises whether these medial letters belong to the first or to 

 the second joint. It is true that this question is one of orthography 

 merely ; for, although spelled with one letter only, the initial and 

 final elements in these continuants and explodents are as clearly pro- 

 nounced as when they are spelled double; thus, rapid, rohin, Latin, 

 timid, ka., we pronounce as if spelled rap-pid, roh-hin, Lat-tin, fim- 

 mid. The question, then, to which of these two syllables these me- 

 dials are to be adjoined in spelling, is simply resolved into this : Which 

 one of these two elements, the initial or the final, is the most impor- 

 tant? I unhesitatingly reply, the initial; for this, at all events, 

 commences the letter, and is most intimately embraced by the pre- 

 ceding vowel. Still, this affinity of the initial element of medial 

 continuants and explodents for the preceding vowels is limited to those 

 cases where they are preceded by short vowels, and does not extend 

 to the preceding long and ueduced vowels. In both these cases, the 

 final clement prevails over the initial, and the continuants and explo- 

 dents, therefore, are drawn into the following syllables. In the case of 

 the long vowels, this has been shown above, but in that of the reduced, 

 the following examples may be adduced : re-Iief, cc-chin', pe-ruse , che- 



