PROSODY Consists of two parts: teaches the true PRONUNCIATION of prising ACCENT, QUANTITY, EMPHASIS TONE; and the latter, the laws of VE

SECTION I. Of Accent.

ACCENT is the laying of a pec the voice, on a certain letter or sylla that it may be better heard than th tinguished from them: as, in the w the stress of the voice must be on th second syllable, sume, which take

As words may be formed of a different nu from one to eight or nine, it was necessar peculiar mark to distinguish words from otherwise speech would be only a contin syllables, without conveying ideas: for marks of ideas, any confusion in the mar same in the ideas for which they stand. necessary, that the mind should at once p ber of syllables belongs to each word, in might be done by a perceptible pause a word in speaking, as we form a certain them in writing and printing But thi course extremely tedious; and thoug words distinct, would make the meanin fused. Syllables might also be suffici by a certain elevation or depression of v ble of each word, which was the practic But the English tongue has, for this mark of the easiest and simplest kind, wh and which effectually answers the end.

Every word in our language, of mor has one of them distinguished from the

I is that which necessarily distinguisnes one syladie

Ford from the rest. The secondary accent is that which we may occasionally place upon another syllaesides that which has the principal accent; in order nounce every part of the word more distinctly, forci ad harmoniously: thus, "Complaisant, caravan," and n,” have frequently an accent on the first as well as on st syllable, though a somewhat less forcible one. The may be observed of "Repartee, referee, privateer, =eer," &c. But it must be observed, that though an t is allowed on the first syllable of these words, it is means necessary; they may all be pronounced with ccent, and that on the last syllable, without the least ion from propriety.

emphasis evidently points out the most significant in a sentence; so, where other reasons do not forbid, cent always dwells with greatest force on that part of ord which, from its importance, the hearer has always reatest occasion to observe and this is necessarily ot or body of the word. But as harmony of terminarequently attracts the accent from the root to the nes of words, so the first and most natural law of acation seems to operate less in fixing the stress than her. Our own Saxon terminations, indeed, with periformity, leave the principal part of the word in quiet ssion of what seems its lawful property; but Latin reek terminations, of which our language is full, asa right of preserving their original accent, and subImost every word they bestow upon us to their own cal laws.

cent, therefore, seems to be regulated in a great meaby etymology. In words from the Saxon, the accent nerally on the root; in words from the learned lanes, it is generally on the termination; and if to these d the different accent we lay on some words, to dis. ish them from others, we seem to have the three principles of accentuation; namely, the radical, the national, and the distinctive. The radical: as, "Love, 7, loveliness;" the terminational: as, " Hármony, har ous;" the distinctive: as, "Convert, to convért.",

the sa

we sometimes lay an equal stress upon tw lables; as, "Dí-réct, sometimes;" but wh are pronounced alone, they have never m cent. The word "á-mén," is the only wo nounced with two accents when alone.

Of dissyllables, formed by affixing a ter mer syllable is commonly accented: as dom, áctest, ácted, tóilsome, lóver, scóffer zéalous, fúlness, meékly, ártist."

Dissyllables formed by prefixing a sylla word, have commonly the accent on th beseém, to bestów, to return."

Of dissyllables, which are at once nou verb has commonly the accent on the la on the former syllable: as, "To cemé contract, a cóntract; to presage, a prése

This rule has many exceptions. The have their accent on the former, yet nour the latter syllable: as, "Delight, perfum which, in the common order of language, ed the verbs, often transmit their accent form, and inversely. Thus, the noun " preceded the verb "to water," as the ver must have preceded the noun "corres pursue" claims priority to "pursuit." conclude, wherever verbs deviate from dom by chance, and generally in those superior law of accent takes place.

All dissyllables ending in y, our, ow, en et: as, " Cránny, lábour, willow, wa lów. avów, endów. belów, bestów;"" bric, batter, courage, fásten, quíet;" ac lable.

Dissyllable nouns in er, as, accent on the former syllable.

"Canke

Dis yll ble verbs, terminating in a c as, Comprise, escápe;" or having a syllable, as, "Appéase, reveal;" or e nants; as, "Attend;" have the accen ble.

Dissyllable nouns, having a diphtho

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e pronunciation, have always the accent on the first ole: as, "Lion, riot, quiet, liar, rúin ;" except "cre

ACCENT ON TRISYLLABLES.

isyllables formed by adding a termination, or prefixing lable, retain the accent of the radical word: as, "Loves, ténderness, contémner, waggoner,phy'sical, bespatter, menting, comménding, assurance."

risyllables ending in ous, al, ion; as, "árduous, cápital, tion," accent the first.

risyllables ending in ce, ent, and ate, accent the first syle: as, "Countenance, cóntinence, ármament, ímmi -, élegant, pròpagate;" unless they are derived from ds having the accent on the last: as, Connívance, acEntance;' ;" and unless the middle syllable has a vowel re two consonants; as, "Promulgate."

risyllables ending in y, as, " éntity, spécify, líberty, víc, súbsidy," commonly accent the first syllable.

Trisyllables in re, or le, accent the first syllable: as, égible, théatre;" except "Discíple," and some words ich have a preposition : as, " Example, indénture.” Trisyllables ending in ude, commonly accent the first able as, "Pléntitude, hábitude, réctitude."

Trisyllables ending in ator, have the accent on the midsyllable; as, "Spectator, creátor," &c.; except "óra, sénator, bárrator, légator."

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

Trisyllables that have their accent on the last syllable are mmonly French; as, " Acquiésce, repartée, magazíne :" they are words formed by prefixing one or two syllables a long syllable; as, "immatúre, overcharge.”

ACCENT ON POLYSYLLABLES.

Polysyllables, or words of more than three syllables, gen. ally follow the accent of the words from which they are erived: as, "árrogating, cóntinency, incóntinently, com- . éndable, commúnicableness."

Words ending in ator, have the accent generally on the

syllable has a vowel before two consonan tible, condemnable."

Words ending in ion, ous, and ty, ha the antipenultimate, or last syllable but tion, victorious, activity."

Words which end in ia, io, and cal, the antepenult: as, "Cyclopaédia, pun The rules respecting accent, are no plete or infallible: they are merely p Almost every rule of every language h and in English, as in other tongues, much by example and authority.

It may be further observed, that tho which the principal accent is placed, i yet we may, and do, frequently make th pal, and the principal secondary: thus, sant, violin, repartee, referee, privatee all have the greater stress on the first, last syllable, without any violent offence may be asserted, that the principal acce ble of these words, and none at all on th tainly improper, has nothing in it grat but placing an accent on the second syll would entirely derange them, and produ and dissonance The same observations "demonstration, lamentation, provocati agator, alligator," and every similar wor

SECT. 2. Of Quantit

The quantity of a syllable is th occupied in pronouncing it. It i

LONG or SHORT.

A vowel or syllable is long, w on the vowel; which occasions joined in pronunciation with the fo as, Fall, bale, mood, house, fea A syllable is short, when the consonant; which occasions th