74 Transactions. 
of Latin words in i into oi; and I would premise on this point that any one 
who has heard and watched the provincial pronunciation of oi in French, 
would detect a clear sound like our ? in those words that have re follow- 
ing oi. 
LATIN FRENCH. Latin FRENCH 
Liger Loire Mihi Moi 
Niger Noir Pyrum Poire 
inus S Frigidus Froid 
Bibere Boire Digitus Doigt 
Videre Minus Moins 
Valcknaer says of various readings of MSS.,“ Maximam partem nihil esse 
quam pronuntiationem librariorum diversam, ai et e — oi et i promiscue 
pronuntiantium.” 
(4.) I have no need to make any remarks on the vowel sound of o in 
"weh i 
Latin. FRENCH. LATIN. FRENCH. 
Bona ds Bonne Collum js Col 
The difference between English and foreign pronunciation is slight. 
(5.) Our sound of w is peculiar, as in the words “tune,” “puny,” &c., 
and is much nearer to the French than to the other continental languages, 
which sound it as “oo” in * fool." 
Latin. FnENCH. LATIN. FRENCH. 
Luna Lune Una Une - 
Tu vite u Mula T Mule 
Utor Ses User Natura pe Nature 
I may, in passing, just illustrate this French pronunciation of Latin 
vowels from other Celtic races, and then explain how it seems to me that 
, the French have now lost their Celtic pronunciation of vowel sounds while 
we have preserved it. 
I would observe, then, that a Gaelic Highlander pronounces our (in 
the word “ table”) soft, even in words where we use the broad a; e.g., he 
says "fayther" for “father,” " rayther" for *rather;" also, “biled” for 
“boiled,” “pison” for “poison.” A Devonshire man and an Irishman will 
say "tiu" for “two” or *too;" and a Highlander will say “gude” for 
“good,” *bluid" for “blood.” I just throw out these hints for others to 
follow up who are more competent than I am to do so; and I proceed now 
to answer the question, “ How comes it that the French have lost their pro- 
nunciation of Latin vowels, which was once like ours, and why did they 
: write it after the continental pronunciation of vowel sounds, and not after 
|. their own?” My answer to those questions is, that the Celts or Gaels of 
* Southern France were the people who pronounced the vowels as we do, as 
en denen: in their corruption of the town Dea (Augusta) in 
nto . l1 no pit by the Kymry ; 
