RULES. 
251 
RULES. 
The Rules referred to are as follows:— 
1. No change is made in the orthography of foreign names in countries 
which use Roman letters: thus, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, &c., names 
will be spelt as by the respective nations. 
2. Neither is change made in the spelling of such names in languages 
which are not written in Roman character as have become by long usage 
familiar to English readers : thus Calcutta, Cutch, Celebes, Mecca, &c. P 
will be retained in their present form. 
3. The true sound of the word as locally pronounced will be taken as 
the basis of the spelling. 
4. An approximation, however, to the sound is alone aimed at. A 
system which would attempt to represent the more delicate inflexions of 
sound and accent would be so complicated as only to defeat itself. Those 
who desire a more accurate pronunciation of the written name must 
learn it on the spot by a study of local accent and peculiarities. 
5. The broad features of the system are:— 
(a) That vowels are pronounced as in Italian and consonants as 
in English. 
(b) Every letter is pronounced, and no redundant letters are in¬ 
troduced. When two vowels come together, each one is sounded, 
though the result, when spoken quickly, is sometimes scarcely 
to be distinguished from a single sound, as in ai, au 3 ei. 
(c) Two accents only are used. (1) The acute, to denote the 
syllable on which stress is laid. The use of this accent is very 
important, as the sounds of many names are entirely altered by 
the misplacement of this “ stress.” (2) The sign ^ with the 
vowel U, when followed by two different consonants, to indicate 
that the sound is short; as Tung, pronounced as in the English 
word tongue. 
6. Indian names are accepted as spelt in ‘ Hunter's Gazetteer of India/ 
1881 . 
7. In the case of native names in countries under the dominion of 
other European Powers in whose maps, charts, &c., the spelling is given 
according to the system adopted by that Power, such orthography should 
be as a rule disregarded, and the names spelt according to the British 
