THE LANGUAGES OP THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 21!) 
(who however uses the acute accent) and Mr Ornvfunl, p uce 
it above instead of below, the dot below being appropriated 
to the lower organic or guttural modification. It will not be 
often necessary to use this mark, and we need not distinguish 
between the lower palatal and the higher or cerebral, although 
any decided instances of the latter may, in accordance with 
our general system, be denoted by doubling t lie dot. * 
Elucidations of the table of Vowel sounds. 
The same reasons that render it necessary to imitate the 
approximation to a natural classification of the consonants 
which distinguishes the Sanskrit, and renders the Bugis alpha¬ 
bet more scientific than the Roman, have induced us to break 
though the customary order of the vowels, and arrange them 
also in a series beginning at the most internal and ending at the 
most external part of the vocal organs. Some writers object 
to the organic classification of sounds, but on insufficient 
grounds, for philologists in designating sounds as labial, dental 
&c do not mean to imply the absurdity that the lips alone, or 
the teeth alone, produce the sounds which lake their name. 
It is only intended that these organs give the peculiar character 
to the sounds called after them which most strikes the ear, 
and distinguishes them from other sounds. The best proof of 
the classification being an approximation to a natural one, is the 
fact that, in general, the sounds of each class are more readily 
and frequently transmuted into each other, than into those of 
the other classes. The true objection to the system is one 
which it shares in common with most systems in other sciences. 
It is apt to mislead by diverting the attention from the less 
prominent characters, and producing a habit of not viewing 
each sound in the entirety of its organic nature and relations. 
Sir W. Jones has prefaced the explanation of his system by 
an account of the mode in which the vowel sounds are produ¬ 
ced. But the whole of his remarks are erroneous from his 
having considered that the size of the vocal orifice alone 
determines the tone and weight of the vowels, whereas the 
tongue and the organs at its root have an essential influence in 
modulating the simple breathing into the different vowels. 
The vocal organism consists of a chamber, having, in the 
palate, a roof rigid, domeshaped and elevated anteriourly, soft, 
* 
* Mr Crawford’* scheme for consonants is simple, but its adoption by u« 
would violate the rates which we have endeavoured to carry out. The single 
dot over a letter, which is his principal diacritical mark, has not always the 
same or even an analogous power. Over d and t it is the palatal mark ; over 
n it expresses ng; over g, ghain ; over n, a strong aspirate ; over k, a deep 
hard guttural, Ac, 
