PART IV.

PROSODY.

PROSODY Consists of two parts: the former teaches the true PRONUNCIATION of Words, comprising ACCENT, QUANTITY, EMPHASIS, PAUSE, and TONE; and the latter, the laws of VERSIFICation.

ACCENT is the laying of a peculiar stress of the voice, on a certain letter or syllable in a word, that it may be better heard than the rest, or distinguished from them as, in the word presume, the stress of the voice must be on the letter u, and second syllable, sume, which take the accent.

As words may be formed of a different number of syllables, from one to eight or nine, it was necessary to have some peculiar mark to distinguish words from mere syllables; otherwise speech would be only a continued succession of syllables, without conveying ideas; for, as words are the marks of ideas, any confusion in the marks, must cause the same in the ideas for which they stand. It was therefore necessary, that the mind should at once perceive what number of syllables belongs to each word, in utterance. This might be done by a perceptible pause at the end of each word in speaking, as we form a certain distance between them in writing and printing. But this would make discourse extremely tedious; and though it might render words distinct, would make the meaning of

sentences confused. Syllables might also be sufficiently distinguished by a certain elevation or depression of voice upon one syllable of each word, which was the practice of some nations. But the English tongue has, for this purpose, adopted a mark of the easiest and simplest kind, which is called accent, and which effectually answers the end.

Every word in our language, of more than one syllable, has one of them distinguished from the rest in this manner; and some writers assert, that every monosyllable of two or more letters, has one of its letters thus distinguished.

Accent is either principal or secondary. The principal accent is that which necessarily distinguishes one syllable in a word from the rest. The secondary accent is that stress which we may occasionally place upon another syllable, besides that which has the principal accent; in order to pronounce every part of the word more distinctly, forcibly, and harmoniously: thus," Complaisant, caravan," and

violin," have frequently an accent on the first as well as on the last syllable, though a somewhat less forcible one. The same may be observed of "Repartee, referee, privateer domineer," &c. But it must be observed, that though an accent is allowed on the first syllable of these words, it is by no means necessary; they may all be pronounced with one accent, and that on the last syllable, without the least deviation from propriety.

As emphasis evidently points out the most significant word in a sentence; so, where other reasons do not forbid, the accent always dwells with greatest force on that part of the word which, from its importance, the hearer has always the greatest occasion to observe: and this is neces-> sarily the root or body of the word. But as harmony of termination frequently attracts the accent from the root to the branches of words, so the first and most natural law of accentuation seems to operate less in fixing the stress than any other. Our own Saxon terminations, indeed, with perfect uniformity, leave the principal part of the word in quiet possession of what seems its lawful property; but Latin and Greek terminations, of which our language is full, assume a right of preserving their original accent, and subject almost every word they bestow upon us to their own classical laws.

S

Accent, therefore, seems to be regulated in a great measure by etymology. In words from the Saxon, the accent is generally on the root; in words from the learned languages, it is generally on the termination; and if to these we add the different accent we lay on some words, to distinguish them from others, we seem to have the three great principles of accentuation; namely, the radical, the terminational, and the distinctive. The radical : as, "Love, lovely, loveliness;" the terminational: as, "Hármony, harmónious;" the distinctive: as, "Convert, to convért."

ACCENT ON DISSYLLABLES.

Words of two syllables have necessarily one of them accented, and but one. It is true, for the sake of emphasis, we sometimes lay an equal stress upon two successive syllables: as, "Dí-réct, sóme-times ;" but when these words are pronounced alone, they have never more than one accent. The word "á-mén," is the only word which is pronounIced with two accents when alone.

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Of dissyllables, formed by affixing a termination, the former syllable is commonly accented: as, Childish, kingdom, actest, ácted, tóilsome, lóver, scóffer, fairer, fóremost, zéalous, fúlness, meékly, artist."

"To

Dissyllables formed by prefixing a syllable to the radical word, have commonly the accent on the latter: as, beseém, to bestów, to return."

Of dissyllables, which are at once nouns and verbs, the verb has commonly the accent on the latter, and the noun on the former syllable: as, "To cemént, a cément; to contract, a cóntract; to presage, a présage.'

This rule has many exceptions. Though verbs seldom have their accent on the former, yet nouns often have it on the latter syllable: as, "Delight, perfúme." Those nouns which, in the common order of language, must have preceded the verbs, often transmit their accent to the verbs they form, and inversely. Thus, the noun "water" must have preceded the verb "to water," as the verb "to correspónd," must have preceded the noun "correspóndent :" and "to pursue" claims priority to "pursuit." So that we may conclude, wherever verbs deviate from the rule,

it is seldom by chance, and generally in those words only where a superior law of accent takes place.

All dissyllables ending in y, our, ow, le, ish, ck, ter, age, en, et: as, "Cránny, lábour, willow, wállow ;" except allów, avów, endów, belów, bestów;" "battle, bánish, cámbric, bátter, courage, fasten, quiet;" accent the former syllable.

Dissyllable nouns in er, as, "Cánker, bútter," have the accent on the former syllable.

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Dissyllable verbs, terminating in a consonant and e final, as, Comprise, escape;" or having a diphthong in the last syllable, as," Appéase, revéal;" or ending in two consonants; as, "Atténd;" have the accents on the latter syllable.

Dissyllable nouns, having a diphthong in the latter syllable, have commonly their accent on the latter syllable; as, Applause;" except some words in ain: as, "Villian, cúrtain, mountain."

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Dissyllables that have two vowels, which are separated in the pronunciation, have always the accent on the first syllable: as, "Lion, riot, quiet, líar, rúin ;" except "creáte."

ACCENT ON TRISYLLABLES.

Trisyllables formed by adding a termination, or prefixing a syllable, retain the accent of the radical word: as, "Loveliness, ténderness, contémner, wágoner, physical, bespatter, cómmenting, comménding, assúrance."

Trisyllables ending in ous, al, ion: as, "árduous, cápital, méntion," accent the first.

Trisyllables ending in ce, ent, and ate, accent the first syllable: as, "Countenance, cóntinence, armament, imminent, élegant, propagate" unless they are derived from words having the accent on the last as, "Connivance, acquáintance ;" and unless the middle syllable has a vowel before two consonants; as, Promúlgate."

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Trisyllables ending in y, as, "entity, spécify, líberty, víc tory, súbsidy," commonly accent the first syllable.

Trisyllables ending in re or le, accent the first syllable: as, "Legible, théatre ;" except " Disciple," and some words which have a preposition: as, "Example, indén

ture."

Trisyllables ending in ude, commonly accent the first syllable: as, "Pléntitude, hábitude, réctitude."

Trisyllables ending in ator, have the accent on the middle syllable; as, "Spectátor, creátor," &c.: except "órator, senator, bárrator, légator."

Trisyllables which have in the middle syllable a diph. thong, as, "Endeavour;" or a vowel before two consonants; "Doméstic;" accent the middle syllable.

as,

Trisyllables that have their accent on the last syllable, are commonly French: as, " Acquiésce, repartée, magazine;" or they are words formed by prefixing one or two syllables to a long syllable: as, "Immatúre, overcharge."

ACCENT ON POLYSYLLABLES.

Polysyllables, or words of more than three syllables, gens erally follow the accent of the words from which they are derived: as, "árrogating, cóntinency, incóntinently, comméndable, commúnicableness."

Words ending in ator have the accent generally on the pen. ultimate, or last syllable but one: as, Emendátor, gladiátor, equivocátor, prevaricátor."

Words ending in le commonly have the accent on the firstsyllable: as, amicable, déspicable:" unless the second syllable has a vowel before two consonants: as, "Combústible, condemnable."

Words ending in ion, ous, and ty, have their accent on the antepenultimate, or last syllable but two: as, "Salvátion, victórious, activity."

Words which end in ia, io, and cal, have the accent on the antepenult: as, "Cyclopædia, punctilio, despótical."

The rules respecting accent, are not advanced as complete or infallible: they are merely proposed as useful. Almost every rule of every language has its exceptions; and, in English, as in other tongues, much must be learned by example and authority.

It may be further observed, that though the syllable on which the principal accent is placed, is fixed and certain, yet we may, and do, frequently make the secondary prineipal, and the principal secondary: thus, "Caravan, complaisant, violin, repartee, referee, privateer, domineer,' may all have the greater stress on the first, and the less