n 



M 



mi 



Mr, Piclcering on the Orthograjfhj oftlie 



languages, in which we have it in our power to establish a new 



that shall be systematic, so far as 



ay 



be consistent 



with convenience in practice ; because, if we apply those conso- 



4 



nants, w, tw, or any others, which already have certain established 

 powers in the alphabet, to this new use of indicating nasal 

 sounds, we shall then be obliged to affix to them a sign of some ^ 



-fi 



point out when they do n 

 ords, to show when they 



w h a t 



sounds ; or, in 

 now call their 



usual powers. In the Polish language these nasal vowels are 



desig 



nated by the little mark, called in some of the foreign 



lan- 



e I W, 



S S S 5 



guages a cedilla, which is placed under them thus, a 

 and Mr. Du Ponceau, to whom I am indebted for this and many 

 other valuable suggestions, observes in a letter to me, that no 



would in practice be 



> - 



method has occurred to him, which 



found 



this for the proposed Indian alpl 



bed the various 



I will 



add on 



an opinion, in which every man, who has 

 difficulties in this case, will fully concur,* 

 this part of the subject, that it will be found best in practice to 



* In printing-offices where types cannot at present be had for this purpose, 

 the nasal vowel may be printed as it is in Volney's work, p. 59, with an inverted 



t o M. But as this may occasion a division 



u 



comma subjoined to it, thus, a e 



d) 



for the nasal vowels. In respect to the division of sjllables I will here add a re- 

 mark from one of Mr. Du Ponceau's letters to me : 'f The makers of Indian Vo- 

 cabuhiries are in the habit of dividing their syllables^ as in the Spelling Book. This 

 is awkward and inconvenient, and will be useless on the principle of the new 

 alphabet." This remark, occurring thus early, may require a short explanation. 

 The method of dividing the syllables will become unnecessary, because in the 

 proposed alphabet every letter is to have a fixed and invariable sound, however 



it may be combined with other 



,ones, will end with a vovveU 



3 



and in sj^elling^ every syllable, except fina! 



