is called a gentile, signifying a man by his country, the penultimate is short, and the accent is on the antepenultimate; as Macedonicus, Sardonicus, Britannicus, &c. See ANDRONICUS. 31. Thus we see many of these proper names are of dubious accentuation: and the authorities which may be produced on both sides sufficiently show us the inutility of criticising beyond a certain point. It is in these as in many English words: there are some which, if mispronounced, immediately show a want of education; and there are others which, though not pronounced in the most erudite manner, stamp no imputation of ignorance or illiteracy. To have a general knowledge, therefore of the pronunciation of these words, seems absolutely necessary for those who would appear respectable in the more respectable part of society. Perhaps no people on earth are so correct in their accentuation of proper names as the learned among the English. The Port-Royal Grammar informs us, that, "notwithstanding all the rules that can be given, we are "often under the necessity of submitting to custom, and of "accommodating our pronunciation to what is received among "the learned according to the country we are in.” "So we "pronounce," says the grammarian, "Aristo' bulus, Basi' lius, "Ido' lium, with the accent on the antepenultimate, though the "penultimate is long, because it is the custom: and, on the "contrary, we pronounce Andre' as, ide' a, Mari' a, &c. with the accent on the penultimate, though it is short, because it is the "custom of the most learned. The Italians," continues he, “ place "the accent on the penultimate of antonomasia, harmoni' a, philosophia, theologi' a, and similar words, according to the "Greek accent, because, as Ricciolus observes, it is the custom "of their country. Alvarez and Gretser think we ought always "to pronounce them in this manner, though the custom, not only "of Germany and Spain, but of all France, is against it: but "Nebrissensis authorizes this last pronunciation, and says, that it " is better to place the accent of these vowels on the antepenulti"mate syllable; which shows," concludes the grammarian, "that when we once depart from the ancient rules, we have but "little certainty in practice, which is so different in different ❝ countries." But however uncertain and desultory the accentuation of many words may be, it is a great satisfaction to a speaker to know that they are so. There is a wide difference between pronouncing words of this kind ignorantly and knowingly. A person who knows that scholars themselves differ in the pronunciation of these words, can always pronounce with security: but one who is unacquainted with the state of the accent, is not sure that he is right when he really is so, and always pronounces at his peril. It is hoped the candid peruser of this work will make allowances for an occasional error in dividing a syllable, or placing an accent, when he reflects on the difficulty with which such a work must necessarily be attended. The Author flatters himself, however, that such attention has been paid both to the compilation and the proofs, that the fewest errors imaginable have escaped him. PRONUNCIATION OF GREEK and LATIN PROPER NAMES. INITIAL VOCABULARY. * When a word is succeeded by a word printed in Italics, the latter word is merely to spell the former as it ought to be pronounced. Thus Abansheas is the true pronunciation of the preceding word Abantias; and so of the rest. *The Figures annexed to the words refer to the rules prefixed to the Work. Thus the figure (3) after Achæi refers to Rule the 3d, for the pronunciation of the final i; and the figure (4) after Abii refers to Rule the 4th, for the pronunciation of the unaccented i, not final; and so of the rest. *** When the letters Eng. are put after a word, it is to shew that this word is the preceding word Anglicised. Thus Lu'can, Eng. is the Latin word Lucanus, changed into the English Lucan. * A-bar' i-mon (4) Ab' a-ris (7) A-ba'rus (1) AB A'bas (1) Ab-as-se' na (1) (7) Ab-da-lon' i-mus (4) Ab-de' ra (1) (7) Every a ending a syllable, with the accent upon it, is pronounced like the a in the English words fa-vour, ta-per, &c. See Rule the 1st, prefixed to this Vocabulary. + Every unaccented a, whether initial, medial, or final, ending a syllable, has an obscure sound, bordering on the a in father. See Rule the 7th, prefixed to this Vocabulary. B A-ben' da (7) Ab'y-lon (6) A-ce' si-a (10) Ab' ga-rus Ac-e-si' nes (1) A'bi-i (4) Ac-e-si' nus (1) Ab'i-la (4) (7) A-ce' si-us (10) A-ces' ta (7) A-ces' tes A-bis' a-res (7) A-bo'lus (7) (1) Ab-ra-da' tas A-bren' ti-us (10) Ab-rod-i-æ'tus (4) Ab-ys-si'ni (1) Ab-ys-sin' i-a (6) Ac-a-cal' lis (7) Ac-a-ce' si-um (10) Ac-a-de' mi-a (7) Ac-a-lan' drus A-ca-mar' chis (7) Ac-ar-na' ni-a (7) A-car' nas (7) A-cas' ta (7) A-cas' tus (7) Ac-a-than' tus (7) Ac' ci-a (10) (7) Ak' she-a Ac'ci-la (7) Ac' ci-us (10) Ak' she-us Ac'cu-a (7) A'ce (8) Ac-e-di'ci (3) (24) A-ces' ti-um (10) A-ces-tor' i-des *Ach-a-by' tos (12) A chæm' e-nes Ach-e-lo'i-des (4) Ach-e-lo' ri-um * Achabytos.-Ch, in this and all the subsequent words, have the sound of k. Thus Achabytos, Achæa, Achates, &c. are pronounced as if written Akabytos, Akaa, Akutes, &c. See Rule the 12th. Ad'a-mas Ad-a-mas' tus Ac-ri-doph' a-gi (3) A-das' pi-i (4) Ad'a-tha Ac-ris-i-o' ne Ad-de-pha' gi-a Ac-ris-i-o-ne' us Ad' du-a (7) Ac-ris-i-o-ni' a-des A-cri' tas (1) Ac-ro-a' thon Ac-ro-ce-rau' ni-um A-del' phi-us A-de' mon A'des, or Ha' des Ad-her' bal Ad-her' bas Ad-i-an' te (8) A-di-at' o-rix Ad-i-man' tus Ad-me' ta (7) Ad-i-me' te Ac-tæ' on (4) Ac-tæ'us (4) Ac-ro' tho-os Ac-i-lig' e-na (24) Ac'ta (7) A-cil' i-us Ac-tæ'a (7) A-cil'la (7) A'cis Ac' mon Ac'te (8) Ac-mon' i-des (4) Ac' ti-a (10) Ad-me' tus A-do' ni-a Ad-ra-myt' ti-um A-dras' ta A-dras' ti-a A-dri-a' num * Ea.-The diphthong is merely ocular, for the a has no share in the sound, though it appears in the type. Indeed as we pronounce the a, there is no middle sound between that letter and e, and therefore we have adopted the last vowel, and relinquished the first. This, among other reasons, makes it probable that the Greeks and Romans pronounced the a as we do in water, and the e as we hear it |