8. Porter on the Vowel Elements in Speech. 169 
ference in the character of the sound produced. Attention will 
be needed to distinguish with invariable certainty compound 
elements from simple, mixed from pure; and especial care in 
order to eliminate whatever i is only incidental, or even purely 
accidental, and so to seize upon what is really essential. 
When all is iote so far, there remains the task of making 
one’s self understood by o others. The clearest and most thorough 
exposition will be but labor lost upon those who have undis- 
criminating ears and loose habits or incorrect modes of pronun- 
ciation; and the number of such among otherwise well-educated 
men—linguists and grammarians with the rest—is by no 
small. Local and national diversities of pronunciation are 
another barrier to a mutual u ndepseodting in these matters. 
e38 the diffeulay 4 is far enters! We ie in this souates not 
peculiarities of pronunciation; and in Great Britain such exist 
in a more marked degree, in the case of the higher as well as ahs. 
aie! classes. Such diversities of usage, quite unsuspected it 
may be, are liable = render the examples employed for illustra- 
tion ineffectual to any other result than a thorough misunder- 
tandin 
I sia lal to offer my views on the subject because I pp ti 
that I have so far overcome the obstacles first named as to have 
hit upon the key to a true system of the vowels, and feel in 
duty bound to encounter the difficulties involved in the task of 
exposition. 
[ would not pat forward my scheme in an attitude of antag- 
onism toward the other systems or half-systems which have 
gained acceptance. I would have it regarded as completing 
what was fragmentary, and explaining what was but half under- 
stood,—by bringing to view certain new relations,—and as 
having its own substantial correctness confirmed by the ground 
it furnishes upon which to reconcile the conflicting diversities 
of other schemes. If, on minor points, my positions shall in 
not ys + ess for once.” This is dapeckalty true of Pes ; Ww reat ie 
when not an entire sating off, of the muffled “ omar ” quality of the medials, 6, d, — 
g, in whatever part of the word, is a very general characteristic of the Germans, — 
Hence, their phonologists peaally, and Max Miller with them, disallow this qual- 
ity as distinctive, though Kempelen (a Mig ge strongly insisted on it as such, 
and illustrated it Pits by the experiment o a flageolet blown within a bladder. 
