Part 11 (1/2)

Never place the accent on _flu_ in _superfluous_, but always on _per_.

245. In reading Paley's ”Evidences of Christianity,” I unexpectedly _lit on_ the pa.s.sage I wanted; say, _met with_ the pa.s.sage, &c.

246. He has ordered a _phaeton_ from his coach-maker; beware of saying, _pheton_ or _phaton_. The word should always be p.r.o.nounced in _three_ syllables, with the accent on _pha_. N. B. In pha-e-ton the _a_ and _e_ do _not_ form a diphthong, as many suppose; the word is of Greek origin.

247. Be careful to use the hyphen (-) correctly; it joins compound words, and words broken by the ending of the line. The use of the hyphen will appear more clearly from the following example: ”_many colored_ wings” means _many_ wings, which are _colored_; but ”_many-colored_ wings” means ”wings of _many colors_.”

248. He had to wait in an _antechamber_; carefully avoid spelling the last word _antichamber_. N. B. An _antechamber_ is the chamber that leads to the chief apartment. _Ante_ is a LATIN PREPOSITION, and means _before_, as, to ante_date_, that is, ”to date beforehand.” _Anti_ is a GREEK PREPOSITION, and means _against_, as, anti_monarchical_, that is, ”against government by a single person.”

249. The _axe_ was very sharp; never spell _axe_ without the _e_.

250. The force of voice, which is placed on any particular word or words to distinguish the sense, is called _emphasis_ and those words are called _emphatical words_: as, ”Grammar is a _useful_ science.” In this sentence the word _useful_ is emphatical. The great importance of _emphasis_ may be seen by the following example:

1. Will you _call_ on me to-morrow?

Yes, I shall [_call_].

2. Will you call on _me_ to-morrow?

No, but I shall call on your _brother_.

3. Will you call on me _to-morrow_?

No, but I shall on the _following day_.

4. Will _you_ call on me to-morrow?

No, but my _brother_ will.

251. Never say _o-fences_ for _offences_; _pison_ for _poison_; _co-lection_ for _collection_; _voiolent_ for _violent_; _kiver_ for _cover_; _afeard_ for _afraid_; _debbuty_ for _deputy_.

252. He is a mere _cipher_; never spell _cipher_ with a _y_.

253. I was _necessitated_ to do it; a vile expression, and often made worse by _necessiated_ being used. Say, I was _obliged_, or _compelled_, to do it.

254. Gibbon wrote the ”_Rise_ and Fall of the Roman Empire;” p.r.o.nounce _rise_, the noun, so as to rhyme with _price_; _rise_, the verb, rhymes with _prize_.

255. Have you been to the _National_ Gallery? Never p.r.o.nounce _national_ as if it were written _nay-shun-al_, a very common error, and by no means confined to uneducated persons.

256. I bought a new _umbrella_; beware of p.r.o.nouncing _umbrella_, _umberella_, or _umbereller_, both very common errors.

257. He is a supporter of the _government_; beware of omitting the _n_ in the second syllable of _government_. A very common practice.

258. He strenuously maintained the _contrary_; never place the accent on the _second_ syllable in _contrary_. In the ancient and time-honored ditty, however, of

”Mistress Mary, Quite _contrary_, How does your garden grow?”

a ballad with which we are all more or less familiar, the word ”_contrary_” _is_ accented on the _second_ syllable, so as to rhyme with the name of the venerable dame to whom these memorable lines were addressed.

259. ”Received this day _of_ Mr. Brown, ten pounds;” say, ”Received this day _from_”, &c.

260. ”In what case is the word _dominus_?” ”In the _nominative_, sir.”

In the hurry of school p.r.o.nunciation ”_nominative_” is nearly always heard in _three_ syllables, as if written _nomnative_ or _nomative_, an error that should be very carefully avoided; it is a word of _four_ syllables.