the letter u, when long, is exactly one of these semi-consonant diphthongs; (8) and coming immediately after the accent it coalesces with the preceding s, c, or t, and draws them into the aspirated hiss of sh, or tsh. (459) Those found in the termination ious may be called semi-consonant diphthongs also, as the o and u have but the sound of one vowel. It may be observed too, in passing, that the reason why in mansuetude the s does not go into sh, is, because when u is followed by another vowel in the same syllable, it drops its consonant sound at the beginning, and becomes merely double o.
197. The improper diphthongs are,
| ae | Caesar |
| ai | aim |
| ao | gaol |
| au | taught |
| aw | law |
| ea | clean |
| ee | reed |
| ei | ceiling |
| eo | people |
| ey | they |
| ie | friend |
| oa | coat |
| oe | oeconomy |
| oo | moon |
| ow | crow |
198. The tripthongs having but two sounds are merely ocular, and must therefore be classed with the proper diphthongs:
| aye | (for ever) |
| eau | beauty |
| eou | plenteous |
| ieu | adieu |
| iew | view |
| oeu | manoeuvre |
Of all these combinations of vowels we shall treat in their alphabetical order.
AE.
199. Ae or ae is a diphthong, says Dr. Johnston, of very frequent use in the Latin language, which seems not properly to have any place in the English; since the ae of the Saxons has been long out of use, being changed to e simple; to which, in words frequently occurring, the ae of the Romans is, in the same manner, altered, as in equator, equinoctial, and even in Eneas.
200. But though the diphthong ae is perfectly useless in our language, and the substitution of e in its stead, in Cesar and Eneas, is recommended by Dr. Johnson, we do not find his authority has totally annihilated it, especially in proper names and technical terms derived from the learned languages. Caesar, Aeneas, Aesop, paean, aether, aethiops mineral, amphisbaena, anacephalaeosis, aphaeresis, aegilops, ozaena, etc. seem to preserve the diphthong, as well as certain words which are either plurals or genitives, in Latin words not naturalised, as cornucopiae, exuviae, aqua vitae, minutiae, striae, etc.
201. This diphthong, when not under the accent, in Michaelmas, and when accented in Daedalous, is pronounced like short e: it is, like e, subject to the short sound when under the secondary accent, as in AEnobarbus, where aen, in the first syllable, is pronounced exactly like the letter n. (530)
AI.
202. The sound of this diphthong is exactly like the long slender sound of a; thus pail, a vessel, and pale, a colour, are perfectly the same sound. The exceptions are but few.
203. When said is the third person preterimperfect tense of the verb to say, ai has the sound of short e, and said rhymes with bed; the same sound of ai may be observed in the third person of the present tense saith, and the participle said: but when this word is an adjective, as the said man, it is regular, and rhymes with trade.
204. Plaid, a striped garment, rhymes with mad.
205. Raillery is a perfect rhyme to salary; and raisin, a fruit, is pronounced exactly like reason, the distinctive faculty of man. See both these words in the Dictionary.
206. Again and against sound as if written agen and agenst.
207. The aisle of a church is pronunced exactly like isle, an island; and is sometimes written ile.
208. When this diphthong is in a final unaccented syllable, the a is sunk, and the i pronounced short; thus mountain, fountain, captain, curtain, villain, are all pronounced as if written mountin, fountin, captin, curtin, villin; but when the last word takes an additional syllable, the i is dropped, and the a has its short sound, as villanous, villany. See the words in the Dictionary.
209. The ai in Britain has the short sound approaching to u, so common with all the vowels in final unaccented syllables, and is pronounced exactly like Briton.
210. Plait, a fold of cloth, is regular, and ought to be pronounced like plate, a dish; pronouncing it so as to rhyme with meat is a vulgarism, and ought to be avoided.
211. Plaister belongs no longer to this class of words, being now more properly written plaster, rhyming with caster.
AO.
212. This combination of vowels in a diphthong is only to be met with in the word gaol, now more properly written, as it is pronounced, jail.
AU.
213. The general sound of this diphthong is that of the noun awe, as taught, caught, etc. or of the a in hall, ball, etc.
214. When these letters are followed by n and another consonant, they change to the second sound of a, heard in far, farther, etc. thus aunt, haunt, askaunce, askaunt, flaunt, haunt, gauntlet, jaunt, haunch, launch, craunch,jaundice, laundress, laundry, have the Italian sound of the a in the last syllable of papa and mamma. To these I think ought to be added, daunt, paunch, gaunt, and saunter, as Dr. Kenrick has marked them with the Italian a, and not as if written dawnt, pawnch, etc. as Mr. Sheridan sounds them. Maund, a basket, is always pronounced with the Italian a, and nearly as if written marnd; for which reason Maundy Thursday, which is derived from it, ought, with Mr. Nares, to be pronounced in the same manner, though generally heard with the sound of aw. To maunder, to grumble, though generally heard as if written mawnder, ought certainly to be pronounced as Mr. Nares has classed it, with the Italian a. The same may be observed of taunt, which ought to rhyme with aunt, though sounded tawnt by Mr. Sheridan; and being left out of the above list, supposed to be so pronounced by Mr. Nares.
