HINTS OX PEOXUXCIATIOX xvii 



CONSOXANTS 



are mostly pronounced as in English, and ours is the 

 only other European language which preserves the true 

 th sounds. The exceptions are : — 



C is always hard, like h ; never = .s as in English. 



D, or 3 (called e5). Like the th in 'bathe,' with a subdued 

 '/-sound in it. To write airily in English ' brodir ' 

 for 'broSir' (brother) is therefore simply preposterous. 



F. Usually as in English : but before /, n, 5, or t, it takes 



the sound of h, thus 'hrafn' (raven) is pronounced 

 ' hrabn " ; a terminal / is also apt to melt into v. 



G. Like the English hard g (that before a, o, or u). When 



preceded by a vowel and followed by another soft 

 vowel or^, g is sounded like y. 'Xefboginn' ('bow- 

 shaped bill ■'), a name Professor Xewton gives for the 

 Curlew, would be pronounced 'Xevboyinn.' 



H is always aspirated. 



J. Like the Continental j, or our y. 



K. As in English before a consonant, the vowels a, o, u, 

 or at the end of a word. Before e, i, y, ae, o, ey, or 

 ei, a slight J-sound is introduced, as in the English 

 •cure.' 



L. As in English; but when doubled='dtl." 'Havella' 

 (Long-tailed Duck) = ' Howedtla.' 



M. As in English. 



N. As in English, but often dropped. 'Vatnsond' (Mer- 

 ganser) = ' Yatsund.' 



P. As in English, except before / when it becomes an /. 

 'Alpt (swan) = 'alft.' Xo word beginning with p is 

 of genuine Xorse origin. 

 h 



