Particularly of the LETTER 2 IT MA. 125 



in the inflexions, and in certain other fyllabic combinations, 

 each of the letters which compofe the different ranks changes 

 its place occahonally with one of its own rank, and not with 

 that of another ; and in the cafe of the liquids, how, if any 

 one of them occur in the nominative of a noun, it muft re- 

 main unchanged in the oblique cafes ; and if it occur in the 

 prefent tenfe of a verb, it muft remain unchanged in the fu- 

 tures ; from whence the liquids have alfo got the name of 

 apzrcifioXa, immutable ', likewife, in the cafe of the double con- 

 fonants, how each of them is occaiionally refolved into the 

 mute of which it is compofed, and tnypcx,. All this might be 

 fhewn particularly, and at great length. But I return to the 

 2*7^05. 



In treating of the Greek characters, fome diftinguifhed mo- 

 dern grammarians have not paid due attention to this letter. 

 Gretser, the Jefuit, in his arrangement of the confonant3, 

 has afligned no place to it at all *. He does not even mention 

 it as one of the femivowels, although it be evidently entitled to 

 that diftinction. Lancelot, author of the Port-Royal Gram- 

 mar, at a lofs, it fhould feem, what to do with it, has claffed 

 it, awkwardly enough, with the double confonants. " Although 

 " the 27y//.,a, fays he, be the only one of its own fet, we may 

 " neverthelefs join it with the double confonants, not only be- 

 " caufe it forms one of their conftituent parts, but alfo becaufe 

 V they all refemble it, by being fibilant in the pronuncia- 

 " tion "j\" Other grammarians, particularly Clenardus, An- 

 tesignanus and Hulewicz, have judged much better 

 in taking the hint from the Greek writers already quoted, 



efpecially 



* Injlitutiones Ling. Gr. Ingoldjladi'i, 1605. i2mo. 



\ " Quoique le a- foit feul de fa bande, nous pouvons neanmoins le joindre avec les 

 " doubles, non feulement parce qu'il en fait partie, mais aufli parce que dans leur pro- 

 " nonciation elles font toutes fifflantes comme lui." Nouve/k Methode pour appendr? 

 facilement la Languc Greque. Paris, 1754. 8w. 



