366 On the Natu7-al Atrangement of the Consonantal Sounds. 



designated under the name of aspirate is treated as a modifi- 

 cation analogous to that which gives rise to the classes of 

 spirants and sonants, and thus the fact is overlooked that both 

 spirants and sonants of every organic class have their correla- 

 tives among the aspirates or ranks of thick pronunciation. 



The remaining consonantal sounds are N, G, H ; M, W ; 

 N, L ; R, Y, which may be called liquids, from the facility with 

 which they coalesce with other consonants; or neutrals, from 

 not admitting of modification by spirant or sonant pronuncia- 

 tion. 



The tabular arrangement of the entire series may then be 

 completed as follows: — 



The characteristic of the sounds of the latter column ap- 

 pears to me to be, that they are each produced by a sta- 

 tionary condition of the vocal organs most nearly approaching 

 to that to which the mouth must be reduced immediately be- 

 fore the pronunciation of the corresponding sonant or spirant. 



Hence the peculiar facility with which the .<5ound of NG is 

 combined witii that of G, M with B, N with D, L with TH, 

 and R with S; and although we cannot illustrate, in the same 

 manner, the relation of H with GH, CH ; of W with V and 

 F, and of Y with J (French) and SH, yet it seems to me to 

 be of the same character, and certainly no one can doubt the 

 intimate connexion of each of the last-mentioned groups of 

 sounds. 



16, Gower Street. H. Wedgwood. 



