202 
MR. THELWALL’S LECTURE ON THE 
ENUNCIATIVE ORGANS AND FORMA- 
TION OF THE LITERAL ELEMENTS. 
(Continued from p. 117.] 
_ IV. THE UVULA.—The pendulous 
thong that plays about between the fleshy 
curtain, or moveable palate (velum pen- 
dulum palati), terminating the roof of 
the mouth, as, also, the curtain itself, is 
an enunciative organ. 
By depression ‘towards, and contact 
with, the glottis and root of the tongue, 
it forms the guttural sounds G and K. 
G hard seems to be formed by pres- 
sure of the uvula and the root of the 
tongue, with flattened surfaces of their 
respective parts ;* care being taken, at 
the same time, that the pressure should 
be so gentle and imperfect, as not to 
impede the vocal impulse of the larynx ; 
the tune from which must continue to 
flow during the entire action of this 
enunciation. This precaution, indeed, 
is always to be recollected, when con- 
tact of the organs is spoken ofin the 
production of : any but the three mute 
elements. For, if the contact be com- 
plete, and the pressure given, no sound 
can be emitted. 
K is formed by pursing up the same 
parts, or by such a degree of pressure 
as effectually suspends “the vocal action 
of the larynx. It owes its’ ultimate 
sound to an explosive effort of mute 
or whispered breath, separating again 
the compressed parts, or to the im- 
pulse of some ensuing open vowel, with 
which it is to be immediately connected. 
The letter which we call eks (X), re- 
presents two different compounds— 
KS, and GZ, as eksquisite (exquisite), 
‘and egzample (example). 
Q, as in queen, quality, &c. has been 
considered, I believe, by a// orthoepists, 
as a mere compound of KU, or of 
_ KW. My opinion, however, is, that 
the foreigner who should take this de- 
finition as his only guide, would be far 
from ‘acquiring the genuine pronuncia- 
* See note (*) on preceding part of this - 
lécture (M.M. Sept. p. 114), for Dr. Dar- 
win’s theory of the formation of G and K. To 
which may be added, that the point of the 
tongue is so little concerned in the forma- 
tion of K (where the uvula and palatial 
organization are complete) that it matters 
not whether it be placed against the middle 
of the. palate, or the roots of the lower 
teeth, or be kept suspended, without any 
contaet, in the mouth. It is the root, not 
the point of the tongue, and ‘its relative 
position, with respect to the wula and velum 
palati, that should fect pare the formation 
agi element, 9910 
The Anatomy of Speech. 
[Oct. 1, 
tion- of, the English Q: which is ap- 
parently throughout, even from its com- 
Mmencement, a sort of aspirated semi- 
liquid; in-no portion of its formation, a 
inute, like the K. 
.To demonstrate’ this, let any? ane 
servant experimentalist bring. the root 
of the tongue and the uvula (or those 
who from any organic defect of the 
uvula, are obliged to use the tip, of the 
tongue, as suggested in the note already 
referred to—p. 114) into the position 
in which the K is most conveniently 
and perfectly formed, and then observe 
whether the K must not be silently ex- 
ploded before even the consonant part 
of the compound element Q can be ac- 
curately sounded. But if, on the con- 
trary, the cavity of the mouth be, from 
the very commencement, somewhat 
more rounded, and the pressure of the 
root of the tongue and uvula rather less 
complete and perceptible than in the for 
mation of K, a slight tune from the larynx 
will yield a sort of imperfect semi-liquid 
sound, which melting, as the organs 
recede, into the open vowel, or diph- 
thong eu, or, oo, will give the perfect 
anglicism of the Q, in queen, quality, 
quick, quotient, &c. It is never, it will 
be observed, written without the vowel 
U; an adjunction which, though super- 
fluous, is not incongrnous—the element 
being incapable of formation without 
parts of the mouth being from the com- 
mencement brought into the position 
in which some one or other of the mo- 
difications of vowel sounds assigned. to 
that letter is produced, 
H. The aspiration, or sound of fh, is 
capable. of being produced, with great 
force and distinctness, by an approxi- 
mation-of these guttural organs almost 
amounting to contact, during the per- 
cussion of the breath;* and this guttura- 
lization appears to be almost indispen- 
sable 
* “ Tf the back part of the tongue be ap- 
pressed to the pendulous curtain of the 
palate and uvula, and air from behind be 
forced between them, the sibilant letter H 
is produced.” 
This is one of the most aceurate of Dr. 
Darwin’s definitions, and will show suffi- 
ciently the ignorance of the vulgar observa- 
tion that H is no letter (or element); 
sinee in its more perfect state it depends 
for its formation, as absolutely upon, the 
precise action of the enunciative organs, 
as any other of the elements, whether sibi- 
lant, liquid, mute, or vowel; and in several 
instances, it is not inferior to many.of them 
in significant and discriminative force. 
