122 JNJLOGT of GREEK LETTERSj 



The general difference betwixt vowels and confonants has been 

 very accurately ftated by Dr W.lk.ns, in the following words: 

 " Thofe letters are called Vocales, vowels, in pronouncing ot 

 " which by the inftruments of fpeech, the breath is freely 

 " emitted •; and they are therefore Ilyled Jpert, or open letters 

 «' Thofe letters are ftyled Corfom^^ts, in the pronouncing ot 

 " which tlie breath is intercepted by fome collifion or clofure 

 " amongft the inaruments of fpeech j and for this reafon are 

 " they iiy]ed Cht/fa Litcra"^" 



The feventeen Greek confonants were divided by the elder 

 grammarians into eight femivowels and nine mutes. "Of the 

 ' confonants, fays Theodore Gaza, fome are Semivowels 



" as C. I, ^|^, X. ^. ^. ?. -. of -^^^'^ ^' ^' ^' ^'" /°^^^!'' ^""^ 

 " ,, ;, , ,, are immutable and liquid t." According to 

 this arrangement, . is a femivowel , but m tlae fubdivi- 

 fion of the femivowels into double confonants and liquids 

 it is tacitly omitted. For this Gaza had the authority of 

 DioNYSius the Thracian t, and probably of Apollonius 

 Dyscolus, whom he very much followed. Constantine 

 Lascahis has expreffed himfelf very nearly m the fame 

 words §. But Emanuel Chrysolokas is more explicit. His 

 Grammar is in the form of queftion and anfwer. How are 

 «' the feventeen confonants divided? Into two forts, femivowels 

 « and mutes. How many are femivowels ? Eight, (, |, .|., X, /^. 

 « , e, .. How are the femivowels divided ? Into three forts, 

 - double confonants, immutable confonants, and <r. How m^a- 



• Efay towards a real CharaBer, &c. p, 363- and 366. 



h I hii ^. ^- •• f Theod. G.zm JntroduShoms GrammaUc. hbr, IV. >/. 3- ^^ 

 apud Valent. Curionem. 8vo. 



X Vide D.o«sxr Jhracis Art. Gram.at. Extat in Fab. BM.th. Or. Vol. VII. 

 p. 26. 



5 Vide CoNSTANT.N. Lascar.s Grammatics: Compendium, p. t- afud Pa.ulum Ma.«- 

 TiuM, Aldi F. Venet. iSSI- "mo. 



