SUMMARY OF ELEMENTARY SOUNDS AND THEIR PROPER SIGNIFICANCY. The following list shows the phonetic elements in the English language, and, to some extent, their proper significancy.* This interesting subject, however, has been only partially investigated. It still affords a field for further research. Let the student collect words and deduce principles. σε pale. {{ wet. 6. 66 arm. A small sound, fit for unimportant things, or Very easy for a child to utter, requiring only the half. This is intermediate between the preceding and 66 at. 66 8. 9. 10. 66 Ид all. 66 not. " fur. but. This is shortened from number five, and, like that, expresses pain. The sound is unpleasant, suggestive of crying infants and bleating sheep. It may express contempt, mockery, disgust. See pp. 26, 47. Largeness, seriousness. There are many exceptions. See p. 22. Surprise, harshness. Being short, it is less appropriate for large things.† See page 46. Produced low in the breast, it expresses, when soft, gentleness; when loud, harshness, discontent, smothered wrath, grumbling. See p. 39. Obscure sound, akin to the preceding. * In using the expression proper significancy, we must not be understood as holding that there is any inherent or essential significance in any sound; but simply that certain sounds have a natural fitness to express certain meanings. See Whitney on Language and the Study of Language (Lecture XI.); also Fowler's Revised and Enlarged Grammar (Chap. VII.). + Hence the sense of incongruity in applying the short word and sound of the monosyllable in naming the Infinite Being. Young persons often try, unconsciously, to avoid the feeling of its unfitness, by prolonging the Ŏ sound. SIGNIFICANCE. Wonder, surprise; pain; calling. Prolonged, it may express greatness. See p. 51. [The second o.] Soothing, smoothness. See p. 26. Weakness; wavy, gentle motion. See p. 27. SIGNIFICANCE. tune, 2+14.* The sound of oo here is made with the tip of the tongue in contact with the lower front teeth, and the lips in position as if to whistle. It approaches the French u. "house, 5+14.* This is sometimes onomatopoetic, as in bowSee p. 54. ou, wow. * These numerals refer to the preceding list of vowel sounds, and they show which combine in the compound sound. + Surds are mere whispering sounds. Sonants are pronounced with vocal tones. Instead of the words surd and sonant, the terms sharp and flat, or aspirate and vocal, or atonic and subtonic have been used. See Latham's English Language, Dr. Rush on The Philosophy of the Human Voice, Goold Brown's Grammar of Grammars, etc. + These sounds are by many regarded as compound, equivalent to tsh and dzh, respectively. 40. 66 r, run. SIGNIFICANCE. Onomatopoetic, suggestive of When final, it denotes enjoined It Smooth liquid. Soft and soothing; littleness; tongue notions. See p. 29. Rough liquid. Rattling sounds; interrupted notions. See p. 31. CONSONANT SOUNDS IN COMBINATION, AND THEIR APPROPRIATE SIGNIFICANCE. 41. Bl, pl, and A, denote blowing, blooming, flowing. See pp. 21, 40. 42. Kl denotes cleaving or adhering. See p. 31. 43. Br and kr. The same substantially as r. See above. 44. Gl denotes smoothness, or silent motion. See p. 44. 45. Gn, jn, and kn denote a sudden breaking off. See p. 28. 46. Gr. Substantially like r. See above. 47. Sc. Swift motion. See p. 56. 48. Shw and sw denote gentle motion. See p. 49. 49. Sl. Like gl. See pp. 20, 44. 50. Sn denotes nose ideas. See n above, and p. 24. NOTE.--The word quiz is said, in the unabridged dictionaries, to have had a singular origin. Whatever we may think of their explanation, the word is true to its phonetics. The first element denotes inquiry; the second, smoothness (its force not being very prominent in this word); the third, littleness, insignificance; the fourth, busy or buzzing action. Putting these together, we should, a priori, infer that the word would mean buzzing inquiry, of a mild nature, on unimportant matters. Let the student write an essay on this general subject of the natural fitness of articulate sounds to convey particular meanings, illustrating his views by numerous examples. PHONETIC ANALYSIS. The method of phonetic analysis is very simple. EXAMPLE. "There is, right at the west side of Itaille." Here the first phonetic element is that represented by th in thine (No. 24, p. 60), a sonant. Its proper signification is demonstrative. [Give examples.] The next phonetic element is that represented by a in at (No. 6, p. 59), a vowel sound, shortened from the sound of a in arm. It is somewhat unpleasant to the ear, suggesting the cries of infants and some animals. [Give examples.] The next phonetic element is that represented by r in run (No. 40, p. 61). It is a rough liquid sound, naturally symbolical of rattling noise and interrupted notions. [Give examples.] The next phonetic element is that represented by i in wit (No. 2, p. 59), a vowel sound. Being, perhaps, the shortest and slightest in the language, its use is very extensive to express littleness and to form diminutives. [Give examples.] The next phonetic element is that represented by z in zeal (No. 32, p. 61), a sonant. This sound is largely onomatopoetic, or imitative. [Give examples.] N. B.-Let the student complete this analysis, and take further exercises, until he becomes perfectly familiar with the sounds and their primary significance, so far as ascertained. NOTE.—The teacher will do well to direct the student's attention at this stage to the different theories of the origin of language, and particularly to the interjectional and the onomatopoetic. On this subject consult the lectures of Whitney, Max Müller, and G. P. Marsh, and the various treatises on Rhetoric. See Excursus in Prof. F. L. O. Roehrig's Shortest Road to German, pp. 217, 218, etc. Give examples of the power of sound to echo sense. Discriminate carefully between what is satisfactorily established, and what is merely fanciful. Assign themes to be investigated and written upon. |