to huh g k r n t d S Z 2242 f b Р m REMARKS ON THE ALPHABETICAL TABLE. It is endeavoured to give the alphabet a more natural order; beginning first with the simple sounds formed by the breath, with none or very little help of tongue, teeth, and lips, and produced chiefly in the windpipe. Then coming forward to those, formed by the roof of the tongue next to the windpipe. Then to those, formed more forward, by the fore part of the tongue against the roof of the mouth. Then those, formed still more forward, in the mouth, by the tip of the tongue applied first to the roots of the upper teeth. Then to those, formed by the tip of the tongue applied to the ends or edges of the upper teeth. Then to those, formed still more forward, by the under lip applied to the upper teeth. Then to those, formed yet more forward, by the upper and under lip opening to let out the sounding breath. And lastly, ending with the shutting up of the mouth, or closing the lips, while any vowel is sounding. In this alphabet c is omitted as unnecessary; k supplying its hard sound, and s the soft; k also supplies well the place of q, and, with an s added, the place of x; q and x are therefore omitted. The vowel u, being sounded as oo, makes the w unnecessary. The y, where used simply, is supplied by i, and, where as a diphthong, by two vowels; that letter is therefore omitted as useless. The jod j is also omitted, its sound being supplied by the new letter fi, ish, which serves other purposes, assisting in the formation of other sounds; thus the f with a d before it gives the sound of the jod j and soft g, as in "James, January, giant, gentle," "dheems, dhanueri, dhчiant, dĥentel;" with a t before it, it gives the sound of ch, as in "cherry, chip," "theri, thip;" and, with z before it, the French sound of the jod j, as in “jamais,” 'zhame." Thus the g has no longer two different sounds, which occasioned confusion, but is, as every letter ought to be, confined to one. The same is to be observed in all the letters, vowels, and consonants, that wherever they are met with, or in whatever company, their sound is always the same. It is also intended, that there be no superfluous letters used in spelling; that is, no letter that is not sounded; and this alphabet, by six new letters, provides, that there be no distinct sounds in the language without letters to express them. As to the difference between short and long vowels, it is naturally expressed by a single vowel where short, a double one where long; as for "mend," write "mend," but for "remain'd," write "remeen'd;" for "did," write "did," but for "deed," write "diid," &c. What in our common alphabet is supposed the third vowel, i, as we sound it, is as a diphthong, consisting of two of our vowels joined; viz. ų as sounded in “unto,” and i in its true sound. Any one will be sensible of this, who sounds those two vowels y i quick after each other; the sound begins y and ends ii. The true sound of the i is that we now give to e in the words "deed, keep —. 1 The copy, from which this is printed, ends in the same abrupt way with the above, followed by a considerable blank space; so that more perhaps was intended to be added by our author. — V. EXAMPLES. So huen sym endfiel, byi divyin kamand, So hi piur limpid striim, huen faul uih steens FROM MISS MARY STEVENSON TO B. FRANKLIN. Kensintyn, 26 Septembyr, 1768. Diir Syr, yi hav transkrib'd iur alfabet, &c., huitfi yi hink myit bi av syrvis tu hoz, hu uifi to akuyir an akiuret pronynsiefiyn, if hat kuld bi fiks'd; byt yi si meni inkanviiniensis, az uel az difikyltis, hat uuld atend hi brinin iur letyrs and arhagrafi intu kamyn ius. aal aur etimalodfiiz uuld be last, kansikuentli ui kuld nat asyrteen hi miiniŋ av meni uyrds; hi dis 1 Printed by Noah Webster: "Dissertations on the English Language," Boston, 1789, p. 407. — ED. tinkfyn, tu, bituiin uyrds av difyrent miiniŋ and similar saund uuld bi iusles, ynles ui liviŋ ryiters pyblifi nu idifyns. In fart yi biliiv ui myst let pipil spel an in heer old ue, and (az ui find it iisiiest) du hi seem curselves. With ease and with sincerity I can, in the old way, subscribe myself, Dear Sir, Your faithful and affectionate servant, M. S. TO MISS MARY STEVENSON1 Diir Madam, hi abdfiekfyn iu meek to rektifyiŋ aur alfabet, "hat it uil bi atended uih inkaanviniensiz and difikyltiz,” iz e natural uyn; far it aluaz akyrz huen eni refarmefyn is propozed; huehyr in rilidfiyn, gyvernment, laz, and iven daun az lo az rods and huil karidfiiz. hi tru kuestfyn hen, is nat huehyr haer uil bi no difikyltiz ar inkanviniensiz, byt huehyr hi difikyltiz mê nat bi syrmaunted; and huehyr hi kanviniensiz vil nat, an “hi huol, bi grêtyr han hi inkanviniensiz. In his kes, hi difikyltiz er onli in hi biginiŋ av hi praktis; huen hê er uyns ovyrkym, hi advantedfiez er lastig.- To yihyr iu ar mi, hu spel uel in hi prezent mod, yi imadfiin hi difikylti av thiendfiig hat mod far hi nu, iz nat so grêt, byt hat ui myit pyrfektli git ovчr it in a uiiks rчitiy. - Az to hoz 1 Ibid., p. 408.- Ed. hu du nat spel uel, if hi tu difikyltiz er kympérd, viz. hat av tithin hem tru spelin in hi prezent mod, and hat av tithiin hem hi nu alfabet and hi nu spelig akardin to it, yi am kanfident hat hi latyr uuld bi byi far hi liist. hê natyrali fal into hi nu mehyd alreadi, az myth az hi imperfekfyn av her alfabet uil admit av; her prezent bad spelig iz onli bad, bikaz kantreri to hi prezent bad ruls; yndyr hi nu ruls it uuld bi gud. —hi difikylti av lyrniŋ to spel uel in hi old uê iz so grết, hat fiu atên it; hauzands and hauzands ryitiŋ an to old edfi, uihaut ever big ebil to akuyir it. 'T iz, bisyidz, e difikylti kantinuali inkriisiŋ, az hi saund graduali veriz mor and mor fram hi speliy; and to farenyrs* it mêks hi lyrnig to pronauns aur layuedfi, az riten in aur buks, almost impasibil. Nau az to "hi inkanviniensiz" iu menfiyn.—hi fyrst iz, hat "aal cur etimalodfiiz uuld bı last, kansikuentli ui kuld nat asyrteen hi miinig av meni uyrds." - Etimalodfiz er at prezent veri ynsyrteen ; byt syth az hê er, hi old buks uuld stil prizyrv hem, and etimolodfiists uuld her find hem. Uyrds in hi kors av tyim, thiendfi her miiniys, az uel az her spelig and pronynsiefiyn; and ui du nat luk to etimalodfii far her prezent miiniys. If y fuld kal e man e neev ટ and e vilen, hi uuld hardli bi satisfyid uih myi teliy him, hat uyn av hi uyrds oridfiinali signifyid onli e lad ar syrvant; and hi yhyr, an yndyr plauman, ar hi inhabitant av e viledfi. It iz fram prezent iusedfi onli, hi miinig av uyrds iz to bi dityrmined. Iur sekynd inkaanviniens iz, hat "hi distinkfyn bituiin uyrds av difyrent miinin and similar saund * Chinese. |