

t 



78 Ml'. Pickering on the PronunciatiGn 



n. 



The letter t, it is universally agreed, had anciently the sound 

 which it now generally has in Greece ; that is, of the letter _p in 



lansiuaaies. When, however, it is preceded by a flat 



consonant, (as Walker denominates that class of letters,) it is very 

 naturally modified by it. Thus, if preceded by ^, it takes the 

 sound of /3j as, o/^tsXc^ is pronounced dmhelos. Such modifica- 

 tions of the general sounds of letters are common in every lan- 

 guage. In tlie present instance, we see, in the Greelc language 

 the letter «r being preceded by Siflat consonant, takes the sound of 

 /3 ; in Latin, on the other hand, we have a well known instance 

 from ^idntllian, where the letter &, when followed by a sharp 



consonant, f, slides into the sound of ^ : " ut cum dico ohtin- 



uit (says he) secundara enim 6 literam ratio poscit, aures magis 

 audiunt jp."* Whether the ancient Greeks thus varied the sciund 

 of the T, it is impossible to determine with certainty. But it will, 

 most assuredly, be safer to follow the present usage of the natives 

 of Greece, than to rely upon the theoretical opinions of Meker- 

 chus and other foreigners, who assert without proof, that such a 

 modification of the (B is " ridiculous."! 



P. 



The pronunciation of the ^ is undisputed. It is agreed, that 

 it has always had the sound which r has in modern languages. 



* Quiutil. luslih }ib. i. c, 7. f Mekerchy p. ]G2. 



