and if the combination can be pronounced at the beginning of a word, as bl, br, etc., the two are taken with the vowel which follows, like a single consonant1: man-da-re, car-dō; but fe-bris, a-cris.

LENGTH OF SYLLABLES

VII. (1) A syllable is long if it contains a long vowel or a diphthong: dō-num, cau-tus.

(2) A syllable is regularly long if its vowel is followed by two consonants: con-dō, mit-tō.

a. But if the two consonants consist of a mute2 followed by 1 or r the syllable is short, unless it has a long vowel or a diphthong: på-tris.

(3) All other syllables are short: me-mor, a-gri.

a. x and z have the value of two consonants because they represent a combination of sounds. A syllable is long if its vowel is followed by either of these double consonants.

ACCENT

VIII. In pronouncing a word of two or more syllables we make one of the syllables more prominent than any other. Thus in the word mem-o-ry we make the first syllable prominent. This prominence in pronunciation given to a syllable is called Accent. In the word memory the accent is said to fall on the first syllable. The accent of Latin words is determined by the following rules:

IX. (1) In a word of two syllables the accent falls on the first syllable: lū'men.

(2) In a word of more than two syllables the accent falls on the syllable before the last, if it is long, otherwise on the second syllable from the last: au-di're, con-ten'tus, me'mi-ni.

a. The syllable before the last is called the penult; the second from the last is called the antepenult.

1 In the division of a compound verb into syllables in writing or printing, the prepositional element is separated from the simple verb: ad-it.

* The mutes are b, p, c, k, q, g, d, t, ph, th, ch.

THE ENGLISH METHOD OF PRONUNCIATION

Latin words and phrases which are frequently used in English and proper names of Latin origin are commonly pronounced in accordance with what is called the English method of pronunciation. This represents in general the pronunciation of English words which are derived from Latin. While some variations are found, the following rules represent the most widely accepted usage.

a. For a slight variation in the sounds of a, e, i, and u see section XIV.

NOTE. It is very important to observe that the long marks over the vowels in the exercises of this book and other Latin books do not indicate the long vowel sounds of the English method of pronunciation. They indicate the long sounds of the Roman method of pronunciation, and they are to be entirely disregarded when the English method is used, except for the influence of a long vowel in the penult as determining the accent.

DIPHTHONGS

XI. The diphthongs are ae, au, ei, eu, oe, and ui. Their sounds are as follows:

aee in me or in net
au = au in author

ei=i in nice

eu=eu in feud

oee in me or in net
ui=i in nice

LONG VOWELS

XII. (1) A final vowel is long, with the exception of a: mo-'nē, du'-rī. For final a, see section XIV, 2.

(2) A vowel is long, if followed directly by another vowel or a diphthong1: re-'us, di'-es.

(3) A vowel in an accented penult (IX, 2, a) is long, if followed by a single consonant, or by the combination of a mute with 1 or r: ar-mā'-tus, fē'-bris, fi'-nis.

(4) The vowels a, e, and o in an accented syllable other than the penult are long when preceding a single consonant, or a mute before 1 or r, followed by e, i, or y before another vowel: sā'-li-o, vē’-ni-a, hã'-be-o, ā'-cri-a.

(5) The vowel u is long in any syllable except the last, before a single consonant or before a mute with 1 or r, except before bl: mü'-ti-lus, but pub'-li-co.

(6) In final es and in the plural ending os the vowel is long: mi'-lēs, hor'-tōs.

(7) In unaccented syllables other than the final syllable a vowel is long before a single consonant or a mute followed by The vowel i, however, in such syllables, is regularly short: mā-tū'-ro, hō-no'-ris; Ē-tru'-ri-a, but ca'-di-tis.

1 or r.

SHORT VOWELS

XIII. (1) A vowel in a final syllable ending in a consonant is short, except in final es and in the plural ending os and in post: por'-tăt, mo'-nět, but mi'-lēs, hor'-tōs, pōst.

(2) A vowel is short in any syllable before x or z or any two consonants except a mute followed by 1 or r: těx'-o, pěn'-do; but pā'-tris.

(3) A vowel is short when followed by one or more consonants in any accented syllable except the penult: mi'-li-tis, Ci'-ce-ro. (See exceptions in section XII, 4, 5.)

(4) The vowel u is short before bl: pub'-li-co.

1 A vowel which is separated from another vowel by h is pronounced as it would be if followed directly by a vowel.

NOTE 1. Before tl or gl any vowel is short:. At'-las.

NOTE 2. When i is preceded by an accented a, e, o, or y, and followed by another vowel, it has the sound of y in yes: Pom-pe'-ius (Pom-pe'-yus).

NOTE 3. In the combination qu, and commonly in gu and su before a vowel, u has the sound of w: que'-ror, sua'-vis.

NOTE 4. The sounds of ae and oe are long or short according as e in the same position would be long or short. Caesar, pronounced Ce'-sar; Ce'-sar; aestimo, pronounced es'-ti-mo; coepi, pronounced cẽ'-pi; coepimus, pronounced cěp'-i-mus.

SPECIAL SOUNDS

XIV. (1) Before r followed by another consonant a is pronounced as in far: ar-mo.

(2) Unaccented a is pronounced like the final a in America: ca'-sa.

(3) Before r, e is pronounced as in miner: a'-ger.

(4) Before r in a monosyllable or a final syllable i is pronounced as in bird: vir.

(5) After r the sound of long u is like that of oo in boot: ruber, pronounced roo'-ber.

CONSONANTS

XV. The consonants are in general sounded as in English words. The following special sounds are to be noted.

(1) Before e, i, y, ae, and oe, c and g have the sounds, respectively, of s and j: cedo, pronounced se'-do; gero, pronounced je'-ro.

(2) Before other vowels and diphthongs and before consonants c and g have the hard sounds: cano, pronounced ka'-no; ecce pronounced ek'-se. But g has the soft sound before another g which is followed by e, i, or y: ag-ger, pronounced aj'-jer.

(3) ch always has the sound of k: charta, pronounced kar'ta.

(4) Final s following e, ae, au, b, m, n, r, is pronounced z: miles, pronounced mi'-lez, urbs, pronounced urbz, ars, pronounced arz.

(5) Sometimes s between vowels is pronounced as z because of the influence of the pronunciation of a derived English word: rosa, causa, pronounced ro'-za, cau'-za from the analogy of the derived English words rose and cause.

(6) When following an accented syllable, and preceding a vowel, ci, si, and ti are sounded as shi: socius pronounced so'-shi-us, natio, pronounced na'-shī-o.

(7) In like manner, x when preceded by an accented syllable and followed by i before another vowel, has the sound of ksh: anxius, pronounced ank'-shi-us.

a. But ti has the unmodified sound (as in time) when following s, t, or x: Os'-ti-a.

ELEMENTARY PRINCIPLES OF GRAMMAR

NOTE: The following presentation of elementary grammatical principles is intended for the use of pupils who have little or no knowledge of English grammar. It is not meant to be a complete summary of the subject, but only to furnish such information as is necessary for the understanding of the terms which are used in beginning the study of a foreign language. It may be omitted with classes which have had sufficient training in English grammar to make such introductory study unnecessary.

THE PARTS OF THE SENTENCE: THE SUBJECT

(1) When we make a statement or ask a question, there is some word which indicates the person or thing about whom or about which we say or ask something. Thus, in the sentences The boy runs and The letter was sent, we say something about the boy and the letter. In the question When did the storm begin? we ask something about the storm. A word which is used in this way in a sentence is said to be the Subject of the sentence. In the sentences given above boy, letter, and storm are the subjects.