58 



THE POPULAR EDUCATOE. 



LESSONS IN FRENCH. IV. 



SECTION I. FRENCH PRONUNCIATION (continued-), 

 III. NAME AND SOUND OF THE VOWELS (continued.) 



36. BEFORE proceeding to the illustration of the sound and use 

 of e mute or unaccented, let us commend the following extract 

 to the careful perusal of the pupil. Speaking of the unaccented 

 e, it is said " Several of our best orthoepists express them- 

 selves thus on that subject: 'The proper utterance of the 

 unaccented c characterises, in part, the pronunciation of the 

 gentleman, as the vicious one marks the low-bred and ignorant. 

 The unaccented e is sometimes pronounced and sometimes not ; 

 and in ^hat consists a great difficulty for foreigners, who, always 

 pronouncing it full, are long before they are able to foUow a 

 French conversation, and thence are inclined to believe that the 

 French speak much faster than any other people. The truth is 

 that the French, taking them in general, do not speak faster 

 than other people ; but in conversation, and in familiar reading, 

 they drop the unaccented e as often as they can do it, and thus 

 go quicker through a sentence than does a foreigner, who gives 

 the full sound of u in tub to every unaccented e he meets with. 

 Thus the word contenance, and the phrase je rial pas re$u tout le 

 vetement, will be pronounced by a foreigner and a Frenchman 

 native of Gascony, con-te-nan-ceje n6 pa re-qu tou le vS-te-men; 

 whereas a well-bred Frenchman will pronounce, cont-nans -jn6 

 pa rsu, toul vet-men, sounding in the first word two syllables 

 only, where the others would sound four ; and in the sentence 

 sounding six syllables, where the others would sound ten.' " 



The French custom of clipping or shortening words as much 

 as possible, in ordinary reading and common conversation, is 

 well illustrated in the following sentence, namely : 



" Quaud vous serez le mime, vous me trouvcrez le mcrtie." 



This sentence contains thirteen syllables in prose, namely : 

 Quand-vous-se-rez-le-mSme-vous-me-trou-ve-rez-le-meme. In poetry. 

 meme would have two syllables. However, in familiar reading 

 and conversation, it is pronounced in eight syllables only, viz. : 

 Quand-vou-srel-mem-voum-trouv-rel-mtim. The suppression of 

 this e is precisely the reason why foreigners imagine that the 

 French speak so very quickly. 



37. E, O, MUTE OB UNACCENTED. Name, uli; sound, like 

 the sound of the letter u in the English word nut; or, like tho 

 sound of tho last syllable er in the words over and watei; when 

 spoken, quickly. 



The c mute or unaccented " is a mere emission of the voice 

 without any distinct sound. It either succeeds a consonant, by 

 the articulation of which it becomes sensible, or comes after a 

 vowel, of which it may be considered tho prolongation." 



It is confessedly difficult to illustrate the sound of this vowel 

 by the aid of English letters, yet it is worthy an honest attempt 

 True, it may be acquired from a teacher, by sheer imitation, 

 but alas, all learners are not good imitators ! If it can be illus- 

 trated by analogous English sounds, it seems quite reasonable 

 to suppose that through this process many more students woulc 

 understand and acquire it, than if they were left merely to the 

 doubtful policy of imitation. Let us try. 



Before the pupil attempts to pronounce the French words 

 used for examples, let him observe most carefully the sound of 

 the last syllable of the following words, when uttered as they 

 usually are in common conversation, namely : 



Moth-er, Broth-er, Nev-er, Sis-ter, Wa-ter. 



Take any one of the above English words, viz : the first 

 moth-er. Pronounce it naturally and aloud with a full voice 

 several times, until the common sound of the last syllable ir 

 particular is familiar to the ear. Take each of those words, an 

 thus practise, by pronouncing aloud carefully, but naturally 

 observing at the same time the sound of the last syllable. 



Now, by what combination of letters would you represen 

 that aound? By ur, as in the first syllable of the English won 

 mur-mur? or by uh? Manifestly tho latter. Below are a fei 

 French words, which you will now proceed to pronounce aloud 

 giving to the vowel e in each example tho last syllable of th 

 word nev-er. Pronounce each of the following French word 

 quickly and abruptly, as if an exclamation mark were place 

 over each one of them, namely : 



Ca like sti7i. 



That is, a combination of the letter s, with the usual sound of 

 the last syllable of the English word irMh-er. 



Ve like dn/t. 



That is, a combination of the letter d, with the usual sound of 

 the last syllable of the same word, moth-cr. 



Jc like z7iu7i. 



That is, a combination of tho letters zh, with the same sound 

 mentioned in the first example ; or like the sound of the last 

 syllable of the word pleas-ure, as usually pronounced, but without 

 the sound of the y, which is sometimes heard; i.e., pleas-ure, 

 nd not pleas-yure. 



Le like Iu7i. 



That is, a combination of the letter I, with the same sound 

 mentioned in the first example. 



Me like mull. 



That is, a combination of the letter m, with the same sound 

 entioned in the first example ; or like the sound of mu in the 

 rst syllable of the English word mutter. 



Ne like nuTi. 



That is, a combination of tho letter n, with the sound men- 

 ioned in the first example ; or like the sound of nu in the English 

 ord nut. Pronounce nit in the word nut, and you have the 

 orrect pronunciation of the French word ne. 



Se like suli. 



That is, exactly like the pronunciation of ce as given in the 

 .rst example. 



To like tuh. 



That is, exactly like the sound of the last syllable of the 

 Inglish word iva-ter. 



Que like TctiTi. 



That is, like the sound of tho last syllable of the English 

 word baker, pronounced rather carelessly. 



Take, if you please, another illustration, viz. : the sound of u 

 n tho English word nut, as explained above, in illustrating the 

 sound of the French word ne. This will give the correct sound 

 of e mute or unaccented. 



The sound of e mute or unaccented resembles the sound of tho 

 otter e of the word the, which is heard in pronouncing </ 

 ;hese two words, viz. the man. Apply the sound of this e, thus 

 pronounced, to the e in the following words, viz. : ce, de, je, me, 

 ne, se, te, que, etc. 



Or lastly, the sound of e mute or unaccented is based upon tho 

 sound of the English a pronounced naturally. Let the organs 

 within the mouth maintain as nearly as possible the same posi- 

 tion, whilst the lips are protruded as if to pout or whistle. Then, 

 whilst tho mouth is in this position, endeavour to pronounce 

 tho English a again ; this, in a majority of cases, will give the 

 correct sound of e mute or unaccented. Practise frequently on 

 this last-mentioned plan aloud, and the car will soon detect the 

 viciousness or correctness of tho sound. Most pupils find it 

 more or less difficult to acquire this sound; but perseverance 

 will, in due time, overcome every obstacle. 



In illustrating the sound of e mute or unaccented, the follow- 

 g signs will be used, sometimes one, again the other, viz. : uh, 

 and the apostrophe, thus : 



Je by z7m7i, or by j'. Se by svli, or by s'. 



SECTION VIII. DEMONSTRATIVE ADJECTIVES AND 

 PRONOUNS. 



1. The demonstrative adjectives ce, m., cette, f., this or that, 

 are always placed before nouns ; they agree in gender with these 

 nouns [ 20 (1)]. 



Avez-vous ce parapluie ? m., Have you tliis or that umbrella ? 



N'avez-vous pas cette bouteille ? f ., Have you not this or that bottle ? 



2. Before a word masculine singular, commencing with a, 

 vowel or h mute, cet takes the place of ce [ 20 (1)]. 



N'avez-vous pas cet argent ? Have you not this or t7iat money? 



Vous avez eu cet houueur, You have liad this or that honour. 



3. When it is deemed necessary to express in French the 

 difference existing in English between the words this and that, 

 the adverbs ci and Id may be placed after the nouns [ 20 (2)]. 

 Je n'ai pas ce parasol- ci, j'ai ce I have not this parasol, I have that 



parasol-la, parasol. 



4. The demonstrative pronouns, celui, m., celle, f ., tliis or that, 

 ' are used to represent nouns, but are never joined with them like 



adjectives [ 3G, 37 (1)]. 



