relatmg to the Science of Phonetics. 125 



not the powers of the German ch and Scotch gh^ but that 

 they are sounds perfectly distinct from either the one or the 

 other of those articulations. 



The question in point, besides its value in etymology, has 

 a value in acoustics ; at least in that particular part of them, 

 that deals with the affinities and analogies of articulate sounds. 



This part of acoustics may conveniently be called the pro- 

 vince of phonetics. 



How far the articulate sounds are systematically related to 

 each other ; how far and in what cases they run into each 

 other ; how far the chain of relationship is lineal, and how 

 far it is circular ; how far vowels and consonants, mutes and 

 liquids differ in kind from each other ; these questions, and 

 questions similar to these, constitute the province of phonetics. 



These investigations must be distinguished, on the one 

 hand, from those of physiology, and on the other hand, from 

 those of etymology. 



The science of phonetics determines how two given articu- 

 lations are related; the science of physiology inquires how 

 they are produced. 



Phonetics tell us that between two articulations an immu- 

 table and essential relation exists ; whilst etymology observes 

 that under certain circumstances one articulation is changed 

 into another. Very often etymology does more ; it assumes 

 the alliance from the change. 



Now it does not follow, in etymology, that because in a 

 given language one sound changes to another, those two 

 sounds are, therefore, naturally allied to each other; although 

 such is often (far, however, from always) the case. 



Nor yet has it been proved in physiology that the sounds 

 which to the ear sound alike, are produced by a like disposi- 

 tion of the parts of the mouth or larynx ; although that such 

 a correspondence exists is highly probable. 



The truth is, that the special study of phonetics, instead of 

 being promoted by the grammarian and anatomist, has been 

 retarded by them. Etymological and physiological tests, ety- 

 mological and physiological classifications, have been applied 

 where acoustic principles alone ought to have been recognized. 

 A necessary correspondence, moreover, between the three 

 kinds of sciences, which in grammar may be proved non- 

 existent, and in physiology has not been proved at all, has 

 for the most part been gratuitously assumed ; and more than 

 this, in those cases where the three tests have not coincided, 

 the disposition has been to sacrifice the phonetic test to the 

 other two. 



