306 
very persons who have maintained. in 
theory the doctrine of their identity, 
would from this very circumstance have 
detected, in practice, the Scoticism of 
the pronunciation, , If the Scotchman, 
however, confounds where we discrimi- 
ate, he has also discriminations (as in 
the intermediate sound between our 
yowels a and é) that mock the imitation 
of our unpractised organs, Through 
this labyrinth of undefinable distinc- 
tions, I know of no efficient guide but 
oral instruction, and the practical ob- 
servance of a correct model, both by 
the eye and the ear. But what shall we 
say to the discrimination of the critic, 
who would persuade us, that aw in 
hawk, and 0 and a in stock, wan, horse, 
moss, difter only by the first being long, 
and.all the others short ? 
_ One thing more, however, I should 
observe, that much greater attention to 
precise rule and uniformity of practice, 
appears to be requisite in the formation 
of the vowels (and indeed many other 
elements,) to the degree and manner of 
the opening of the lips (with which, as 
T- have already observed, the interior 
cavity of the mouth is almost sure to 
sympathize,) than of the teeth or jaw; 
the management of which should be 
materially modified, according to. the 
interior structure and natural dimen- - 
sion of the cavity of the mouth, It is 
not to every pupil that the common ex- 
hortation “ open your mouth,” is-pro- 
‘perly applied; since the extension of 
the jaw, which may be indispensable to 
the freedom and grace of utterance in 
one, may be equally hostile to facility 
and harmony in another subject.. In 
the course of practice I have had se- 
rious defects to- correct, that had ob- 
viously arisen out of the neglect of this 
discrimination; and I‘ was not a little 
amused some time ago, when, upon ex+ 
amining by the test of experiment,:a 
very ingenious system communicated to 
me by a very valuable correspondent, 
for ascertaining the exact admeasutre- 
ment of opening between the teeth 
expedient for the perfect orisonance of 
each: particular vowel, I found that I 
could not only sound every one of them 
myself, with the teeth hard clenched; 
but could also read in that way, with 
erfect distinctness of enunciation 
though, I admit, not with the fullest 
effect of harmony and _expression,) 
whole pages of the Paradise Lost—or, 
indeed, the entire poem, or any other 
book that should be put into my 
hands. Not so, with any deficiency 
The Anatomy of Speech. 
(Nov. I, 
in the actions and apertures of the 
ips.* 64 '"Ney | ava ae dak 
ath the analysis of the functions of 
the lips is not. yet completed. Several 
of the consonants, also, depend for their 
enunciative character, exclusively, on 
the actions and positions of; these or- 
gans, Band P,M, and the consonant, 
or. initial W, derive their elemental 
sounds from different modes of contact, 
with different degrees of pressure, re- 
striction, and protrusion of the upper 
and the under lips. 
F and V, by contact of the rim of the 
lower of these organs with the upper 
teeth; or, where the upper teeth are 
wanting, or the lower jaw is incon- 
veniently protrusive, they may be form- 
ed by similar contact of the. upper lip 
with the teeth below.+ V and F, B and 
V3 > 
._ ™” The Edinburgh Reviewers tell us 
(No. 12, p. 360), that the three dental 
vowels, a, ¢, t (of the English alphabet), 
are all spoken with the mouth much more 
extended, than our aw in fall; but that the 
ain pass, is spoken with the greatest pos- 
sible extension of the jaws.’’ To contra- — 
dict critics by profession is playing with 
edged tools: but I cannot but think that 
to the reader, with a mere English ear, 
and familiar with mere English pronun- 
ciation, a very great part of that yery cy- 
rious article, their scheme of vowels (in 
the Review of Mitford’s Harmony of Lan- 
guage) must be a little amusing. ; 
The treatise alluded to in the text has at 
length been published. (Roe’s Principles 
of Rhythmus, of which, see a brief notice 
in the M.M. for January, vol. lviii., p. 
537.) As the author does me the honour 
of acknowledging his correspondence with 
me upon the subject of his work, I think 
myself called upon, while professing that 
the public haye great obligations to his very 
ingenious labours. in. this department, to 
observe, that there are still several, parti- 
culars in which I cannot entirely acéord 
with him, besides that alluded. to, of the 
progressive opening of the jaw .or aperture 
of the teeth, in the formation: of the dif- 
ferent vowels. Sie cea 
+ “ Ifthe lower lip be appressed. to the 
edges of the upper teeth, and air from the 
mouth be forced between them, the sibilant 
letter F is formed.”’ ee ; 
** If, in the above situation of 
and 
teeth, a sound be: produced in the mouth, 
and sonorous air be forced between them, 
the sonisibilant letter Vis formed.’ It 
will be seen by and by that. Dr. D..and I 
ati 
differ as to the rank and , classification, 
though not the organic.formation ,of the 
latter of these elements...» one 
“ If the lips be pressed close ther, 
and some air be condensed in the mouth 
behind 
