116 THE EVOLUTION OF MALAY SPELLING. 



(3) (d) In two syllable roots having one syllable open and the 

 other closed, the weak letters wau and //a are to be inserted in the 

 closed syllable having the <?, i, or o, u sound respectively, except 

 when the sounds of the two syllables are of the same class (o and 

 u, o and o, u and u ; or i and e, e and e, i and i). (b) When both 

 syllables are closed and have similar sounds, the weak letter 

 must only be used in the second syllable; but (c) if the sounds 

 are dissimilar, one being the a sound and the other wau or ya, 

 the wau or ya must be written in whichever syllable it occurs ; 

 and (d) if the sound in one syllable is wau and the other ya, both 

 must be written. (?) The following common words are exceptions 

 to this rule, being written without the weak letters, 



k.u yjjz \i<r ^^>\ V.A.0 .v^j Jy A.1^9 jmiU J^*-> JM-* *\^ 



Three-syllable roots must be treated similarly. 



(4) Where a syllable commencing with the a sound follows 

 a syllable ending in the letter j or . the alif must 

 always be written. Examples : 



y\ y \ » J o\y o\y \j>- Sy* yy 



(5) («) In root words, lengthening letters are used in those 

 open syllables on which the accent falls. Several words of 

 Arabic origin, however, are exceptions to this rule, and a few 

 other words, such as, 



t$jj£. $Cju ^U J.\L" J&r J.C !Aa£ ex- aI di» 



(6) In derived words, when the vowel sound of the last 

 syllable of the root is e, i, o or u, the spelling of the root 

 remains unchanged, (c) If the root ends with the open a sound, 

 an alif must be written in the last syllable of the root when a 

 suffix is added, (d) If the last syllable of the root is closed and 

 has the a sound, an alif is usually written in the last syllable of 

 the root on the addition of a suffix commencing with a vowel 

 sound, but if the suffix commence with a consonant the alif is 

 not required, and the spelling of the root remains unchanged. 



