LATIN PRONUiVClATION. 



99 



But as the subject of Lutiu Gramuiar is of great importance, it being 

 the key to llie ahnost exhaustless stores of the literature not only of the 

 ancient Romans, but also of all modern and christian nations for nearly 

 eighteen centuries past, and in particular intimately connected with our 

 own language, of which it forms so large a constituent part, we presume 

 that we shall meet with indulgence from the readers of the llccord gen- 

 erally, and especially from those engaged in the prosecution of classical 

 studies, in offering some remarks upon various topics here presented to 

 our consideration. 



In the first place, we are compelled to differ somewhat from Prof. 

 Brooks in regard to the pronunciation of the Latin language. It is true, 

 that we cannot determine with precision the sounds indicated by several 

 letters, but of one thing we are certain, viz. that the English is the very 

 worst standard of pronunciation that could be taken. In fact the Eng- 

 lish language has no settled pronunciation of either vowels or diph- 

 thongs. This is shown clearly enough by the directions given by dif- 

 ferent English authors for the pronunciation of Latin. Thus Dr. Ross 

 says that a is to be pronounced short as in man, or long as in star. 

 Prof. Brooks says that it has the sound of ah, whether long or short, 

 whilst Andrews and Stoddard declare, that when a is accented, it is 

 sounded as in fatal, (they do not say which syllable, but we presume 

 they mean the first, as they call it the " long English sound,") but when 

 unaccented they wish it to be pronounced like a in father. We might 

 point out similar discrepancies in the rules laid down by these and other 

 writers for the pronunciation of nearly all the vowels. What then is 

 the teacher to do } Or is this a matter of no importance ? No one can 

 doubt that it is desirable for us to approach as nearly as possible to the 

 pronunciation of the Latins themselves at the time when the language 

 which we study was spoken in its greatest purity, and 1 would also sug- 

 gest that a correct pronunciation of the Latin may be made to facilitate 

 our acquisition of the modern languages of continental Europe, as well 

 as to assist in correcting the lamentable anomalies of our own written 

 system. Let us adopt the universally acknowledged sounds of the Ro- 

 man vowels, both in Greek ('where Dr. Anthon has already led the way 

 to their introduction, by adopting tlicm in his Greek grammar,) and in 

 Latin, and we shall not only have a key to all the leading languages of 

 continental Europe, (with the exception of the French, which stands 

 nearly as much in need of a reformation as the English,) but we shall 

 likewise prepare the way for the reception of these sounds as properly 

 indicated by their ancient signs, in our own language. Hurely there 

 Would be no dilHculty in intruduciuy into our schocjls au sini])lt a sys- 



