I. OBSERVATIONS 



rNTRODUCTORY TO THE FOURTH VOLUME OF THE 



CYBELE BEITANNICA. 



Cybele has proved to be a name more uncertain in its 

 pronunciation than was anticipated. A suggestive indi- 

 cation was attempted in the first volume, page 69, by 

 dividing the word into three sjdlables, thus, Cy-be-le. 

 This was done in order to prevent the very probable mis- 

 pronunciation of the name in two syllables only, with the 

 final vowel mute, and giving length of sound merely to 

 the second sjdlable, in the usual manner of speaking 

 English names. But, in addition to the objectionable 

 "Si-beel," four other modes of in-onunciation have 

 been current among botanists, which may be exemplified 

 thus : — 



" Si-bee-lee. Sib-ee-lee. Si-bel-ee. Sib-el-ee." 

 The Author prefers the last of the four, as best insuring 

 the short sound of the tv^^o first syllables ; the Latin 

 dictionaries printing the name Cy-be-le with the two first 

 vowels marked short. Adopting this mode, the ordinary 

 English pronunciation of the words Cyn-ic and cyn-ic-al 

 may be a guide to the sound of Cyb-el-e. But an intel- 

 ligent friend insists on the middle vowel being made 

 long, as it is sounded when double in the English words 



VOL. IV. B 



