ANALYTIC ORTHOGRAPHY. 297 
CONSONANTS. 
174. If the lips are partially closed from the U oo position, we get the aperture for the 
initial of way, represented by win English, V in Latin, and wu in Italian and Spanish. It 
does not occur in German, and has a doubtful place in French; where, according to Olivier, 
(Sons de la Parole, p. 171,) it occurs in careless speech, in the words out, ouest, ouate. Being 
half interrupted, we will call it aliquid. It has an audible sound, so that it is also sonant. — 
175. If we give w an accession of breath, unaccompanied by voice (the vocal ligaments . 
not being parallel,) it will become wh, which has the qualities named surd (from its want 
of vocality) and aspirate, from its hissing sound. The Romans applied the term LENIS 
(soft) to the quality of an unaspirate consonant. (This and several allied terms are 
adopted from Latham.) If, instead of forming the liquid way, the lips be closed upon the 
issuing voice, the sonant bay will result if the voice is heard, and the surd pay if it is checked. 
176. If the ventages of a clarinet are stopped, and the end or bell be suddenly closed 
upon the issuing sound, the vibration is checked; and if the vocal passage were made of 
an unyielding material, 6, d, and gay could not be furmed, as the close of the organs would 
prevent the passage of air over the vocal ligaments. The absence or rarity of these sounds 
in some languages may be due to rigidity in the organs of speech.* 
177. The word ‘surd’ nearly corresponds to whispered, but is distinct. In whispering, 
the murmur of breath through the larynx is heard, and if 6 is the whispered element, it 
continues until the mouth is filled with air, whilst p is not continuous, the organs being 
rigid. In whispering vowels, the organs are in the normal speaking condition, except 
that the vocal ligaments are not allowed to become parallel. 
178. A sonant element often indicates a verb in English, and its surd a noun, as in prove 
proof; breathe breath; live life; braze brass; iise tise; reftise réfuse. Hence, when hold 
is a noun, it is popularly pronounced holt, and hilt is authorised. 
179. Sonant elements being longer than surd ones, the length is in some degree trans- 
ferred to a preceding vowel, as in road rote; bone boat; bade bate; léague léek; robe 
rope; in which bait and leek are as short as bat and lich. 
180. On account of the additional effort required to make the vocal ligaments parallel, 
and perhaps to furnish breath for 6, d, gay, beyond what is required for p, t, cay, the lat- 
ter must be considered the most typical, natural, and the earlier. But Grimm, (Ge- 
schichte der Deutschen Sprache, 1853, chap. xv.) gives the preference to 0, d, gay. ! 
* As the mouth of speaking birds is unlike that of man, it is probable that the absence of articulation in the 
apes is not due to the anatomical peculiarities commonly mentioned, but to the want of a speaking brain to guide 
the tongue and lips toward articulation, as the hand is guided in the imitation of human actions. We have pro- 
mulgated this view in lectures and among cultivators of science for twenty or twenty-five years. 
