S. Porter on the Vowel Elements in Speech. 311 
prevailing in Italian,—as does the reverse in English. We have 
(8) an original long vowel or diphthong, with little or no change 
except the condensation of the diphthong,—just as ought to be 
expected in connection with the actual changes as above stated. 
Similar laws and tendencies have had partial sway in the other 
branches of the Latinic family. 
Every language under the sun will show examples, in abund- 
ance, of changes, more or less regular, by direct transition from 
one vowel group into another,—whether we study it in its ety- 
mological history, its dialectic variations, or the mutations of or- 
thoépical fashion. e changes in vowel-pronunciation which the 
Linglish has undergone, and for the most part within three hund- 
red and fifty years, are many, though not all, of this description. 
It should be received as an incontrovertible fact, that the 
vowels in English had once substantially the Latin and Italian 
sounds ;—and this they had, indeed, for the most part, even to 
ish in “ swate,” “indade,” for sweet, indeed, and the like. Two 
hundred years ago, the ee had obtained its present pronunciation 
or wavered between this and an a.” 
* For a full exposition of one branch of this topic, see the article, Shakespearean 
ion, i merican Review for April, 1864. In respect to the 
long a as in Shakespeare’s time, the view there taken is not quite correct. care- 
ful examination of Wallis and Wilkins leaves no doubt that they regarded it as 
identical with the Italian a. Dr. Wallis (Gram. Ling. Ang., 6th ed, 1765, p. 8) 
8 of the English a, long and short: “Cambro-Brittani hoc sono solent suum @ 
ronunciare ; su n(p. escribe 
it as the slender a, “a exile,” in distinction from the broad a, “4d pingue,” used in 
the German and the French of that period, and heard in the English all, hall, haul, 
dc. Again, he describes the English ¢ (pp. 9, 56) as iike the e of the rench, S$ 
ifies it, when long, tially with 
on, 
reed (Real : id 
art, hallowed, name, as, day, daily, trespasses, temptation, and, Amen, maker, Mary, 
Pilate, was, again, at, hand, for o in body. He uses an 
. 
