190 PROCEEDIXGS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. 



Here, then, we have five primaries, three (or foui*) intermediates, 

 four compounds, in all twelve (or thirteen to include u) under which, 

 I believe, all vowel sounds now received in English may properly Ije 

 brought. 



The primaries as they hold the extreme positions and the equi- 

 distant way-stations, the octaves, are fixed points that are easily 

 verified, and will sufi'er neither increase nor diminution. Between 

 each pair in the ascending scale there is room for many intermediates 

 which no doubt will be formed. As language progresses finer dis- 

 tinctions are drawn. These find place pai-ticularly within the higher 

 octaves. Why it should be we are not told, but the fact is that our 

 speech has a tendency to mount higher and still higher, until, like 

 vaulting ambition, it overleaps itself and falls into compounds. The 

 process of multiplying intermediates and fusing compounds will no 

 doubt continue as it has heretofore gone on, in the face of academies 

 and all accepted orthographical modes. We may shut our eyes but 

 must move with the stream. In these circumstances it is a part of 

 wisdom to note a change when it is made and to accommodate one's 

 self to that change. We need not make oui-selves anxious lest 

 future generations should not be aware how well their fathers of the 

 nineteenth century spelt. They will desii'e to know chiefly how we 

 sound our language. As for etymology, it is reasonably safe already, 

 and is scarcely furthered by parading in words a ma.ss of useless or 

 misleading charactei's, be they never so beautiful. Kature is careful 

 that organs which have outlived their usefulness should not be kept 

 at full length as a clog on animals, but shall to all intents and 

 purposes vanish. Philologers will find the rudimentary forms of 

 words without further aid fi*om absolute letters which have their 

 proper place in storehouses such as dictionaries. 



A word upon the foims assigned to intermediates and compounds. 

 The acute accent shows that the number of vibrations per second has 

 been increased from that of the octave ; in other words, we have 

 sharpened the normal sound. Accents are frequent in printed French, 

 and are therefore familiar to the majority of persons who read. The 

 subscript may not meet with so ready acceptance, but is used in 

 Greek for the same pui-pose. is not hard to make and would, I think 

 sei've well to indicate the two- fold character of compoimds. 



