5. Every word of two or more syllables has in pronunciation a certain ACCENT, that is, a peculiar stress or force laid upon a particular syllable. If the accent in any word is misplaced, the pronunciation is injured or destroyed. Compare, for instance, the different pronunciations of refuse and refuse; desert' and des'ert; minu'te and min'ute. See also the class of words, page 46. a. Some words, in addition to the principal, have a SECONDARY, or weaker accent; as in 2 Ad'verti"se, Ab'sente"e, Com'plaisan't, Hence 6. The general tendency of our language is to accent the root, and not the termination of a word. the natural position of the accent in English words is in the first syllable. As a general rule, therefore, English or Saxon words should have the accent on the first syllable. This general rule is exemplified not only by the usual position of the accent in English or Saxon words, particularly in DISSYLLABLES and TRISYLLABLES, but also by the tendency which we observe in our language favours affected pronunciations; as in the word "ed-ju-ca-shun," which he calls "an elegant pronunciation of education." He gives similar pronunciations to virtue (vertshu), ordeal, tedious, frontier, and all such words. It should also be kept in mind that several of the accents and vowel sounds have changed since his time; as in narráte and zenith, &c. These observations are not in depreciation of the great merits of Walker's Dictionary, but merely to put the learner on his guard. 1 Monosyllables may have emphasis, but, as they consist of but one syllable, they cannot have accent. 2 In the case of a polysyllabic word, a secondary acċent is often necessary for its full enunciation; and when it occurs in words of three syllables, it seems, generally, to be the result of a struggle for ascendancy between the foreign and English tendency. to bring words of foreign origin under the English or radical accent. a. The words memoir, bouquet, and reservoir, for instance, have been brought under the English accent, and complaisant, balcony, revenue, cravat, saline, and many others, are on the way. Hence also the popular pronunciation of the word police (namely pó-s); and the colloquial, but now recognised pronunciation of boatswain, (bo'sn,) cockswain, (cock'sn,) cupboard, (cupbŭrd,) &c. Many foreign words, however, particularly French, have struggled successfully against the English tendency; as b. With regard to words of Greek or Latin origin, it may be laid down as a general rule, that when they are adopted whole or without change the accent or quantity of the original word is usually preserved; as in Anath'ěma Acu'men Dilem'ma Diplo'ma Hori'zon c. In many such words, however, the English tendency has prevailed; as in Or'ǎător Sen'ător Aud'ĭtor Pleth'ora 7. This tendency is, however, counteracted to a certain extent by another natural tendency in the language. In words used as verbs, the tendency of the accent is to the termination, and not to the root.1 Hence, in verbs of two syllables, the accent is generally on the last, and in verbs of three syllables, on the last, or last but one. a. Hence the unsettled position of the accent in such words as Confiscate, Contemplate, 1 See the class of words, page 46. Enervate, Some authorities, following the general tendency, place the accent on the first syllable, as compensate; while others hold that, as verbs, it is better to accent the second syllable, as compensate. 8. The radical accent is also counteracted by the tendency in compound or derivative words to follow the accent of their primaries; as in Begin'ning from begin'. Commit'tal Coquet'ry commit' coquet'te a. In many cases, however, the radical or general tendency of the accent has prevailed; as in b. In several words the contest is, as yet, undecided; as in Ac'ceptable or acceptable Com'měndable or commend'able Dis'putable or dispu'table 9. The tendency in compound or derivative words to preserve the accent of their primaries, is crossed by another natural tendency, namely, the disposition in compound or derivative words to shorten the long sounds or syllables of their primaries; as in the following words: 10. ACCENT, from its very nature, must affect not only the syllable under it, but also the syllable next it; for in propórtion as the one is dwelt upon, the other is passed quickly over. This is exemplified by the usual pronunciation of the unaccented syllable in the following words:— Cab'băge Fur'năce Cli'măte Courage Cap'tain (%) Image Village In the preceding words the unaccented syllable is pronounced quickly and indistinctly; and in the case of a diphthong, one of the vowels is omitted altogether in the pronunciation. Compare, for example, the different sounds of the termination age in the words cabbage and engage, pres'age and presu'ge. Compare, also, the different pronunciations of the accented and unaccented syllables in the following words:— 11. Hence it is that such combinations as ea, ia, ie, eo, io, eous, ious, following an accented syllable, are, inpronunciation, usually drawn into one sound or syllable, though composed of more than one vowel, as in Though in primitive words containing such combinations this rule generally holds, yet it is usually departed from in the derivatives. Thus Partial and Christian are pronounced as dissyllables, while their derivatives, Partiality and Christianity, are pronounced in five syllables, though only two are added. a. And when c, s, or t precedes any of these combinations, it has, by the quickness of the enunciation, and the consequent blending of its sound with the vowel, the force of sh, as in the examples just given. b. Hence the terminations cial, sial, and tial, are pronounced like shăl; as in commercial, controversial, and martial. c. The terminations ceous, cious, and tious are pronounced like shus; as in farinaceous, capacious, and contentious. d. The terminations geous and gious are pronounced like jus; as in courageous and religious. e. The terminations sion and tion are pronounced like shun; as in mission and invention; but the termination sion, preceded by a vowel, is pronounced like zhun; as in explosion and confusion. 12. The seat of the accent will generally serve as a guide in the pronunciation of final syllables in ICE, ILE, INE, ISE, and ITE. When the i is accented, it is long, and when unaccented, it is usually short; as in the following words: 13. In such terminations, that is, final syllables in ICE, ILE, and ITE, the i is sometimes long, though not under the accent;' as in the following words:- That is, the principal accent.- |