Particularly of the LETTER 2 1 F M A. 125 



in the inflections, and in certain other fyllabic combinations, 

 each of the letters which compofe the different ranks changes 

 its place occafionally with one of its own rank, and not with 

 that of another ; and in the cafe of the liquids, how, if any 

 one of them occur in the nominative of a noun, it mud re- 

 main unchanged in the oblique cafes ; and if it occur in the 

 prefent tenfe of a verb, it mull: remain unchanged in the fu- 

 tures ; from whence the liquids have alfo got the name of 

 afjuiTo.^o'Ka,, immutable ; likewife, in the cafe of the double con- 

 fonants, how each of them is occafionally refolved into the 

 mtite of which it is compofed, and (HyiLo.. All this might be 

 fhewn particularly, and at great length. But I return to the 



In treating of the Greek characflers, fome diflingullhed mo- 

 dern grammarians have not paid due attention to this letter. 

 Gretser, the Jefuit, in his arrangement of the confonants, 

 has afligned no place to it at all *. He does not even mention 

 it as one of the femivowels, although it be evidently entitled to 

 that diftindlion. Lancelot, author of the Port-Royal Gram- 

 mar, at a lofs, it fhoiild feem, what to do with it, has claffed 

 it, awkwardly enough, with the double confonants. " Although 

 " the llyyM, fays he, be the only one of its own fet, we may 

 '* never thelefs join it with the double confonants, not only be- 

 *' caufe it forms one of their conftituent parts, but alfo becaufe 

 " they all refemble it, by being fibilant in the pronuncla- 

 " tion f ." Other grammarians, particularly Clenardus, An- 

 TESIGNANUS and HuLEWicz, have judged much better 

 in taking the hint from the Greek writers already quoted, 



efpecially 



* Inflitutiones Ling. Gr. Ingoldjladii, l6c^. i2mo. 



\. " Quoique le a- folt feul de fa bande, nous pouvons neanmoins le joindre avec les 

 " doubles, non feukment parce qv'il en fait partie, mais auffi parce que dans leur pro- 

 " nonciation elles font toutes fifRantes comme lui." Nouvel/e Methode pour appendre 

 facilemtnt la Languc Greque. Paris, ly^i^. 8w. 



