☞ (559). Fte (73), fr (77), fll (83), ft (81); m (93), mt (95); pne (105), pn (107); n (162), mve (164),
nounced as heard in face, cannot be conceived, as each of the other vowels has, like a, a variety of other sounds, as they are united with letters which, in some measure, alter their quality.
In consequence of entertaining a different idea of the a, when pronounced in the alphabet, we see the natives of Ireland very prone to a different pronunciation of the words where this letter occurs; and, indeed, it is quite consistent with their doctrine of the sound of a, that the words parent, papal, taper, and fatal, should be pronounced pah-rent, pah-pal, tah-per, and fah-tal. We find the Scotch likewise inclinable to the same pronunciation of a, when in words, as when alone. Thus we hear Sawtan for Satan, sawcred for sacred, and law-ity for laity; and this is perfectly consistent with the manner in which they pronounce the letter a, when alone: there is no medium. If this be not the true pronunciation of these words, the a is certainly to be sounded as the English do: for, whenever the English give the Italian sound, as it may be called, to the a, except in the words father and master, it is always in consequence of its junction with some consonant, which determines it to that sound; as in monosyllables terminating in r, as bar, car, far: but where it is not affected by a succeeding consonant, as in the words parent, papal, natal, fatal, we then hear it pronounced as the slender English a, both in and out of composition.
It will, perhaps, be objected, that the most frequent short sound of a, as heard in cat, rat, mat, carry, marry, parry, is the short sound of the Italian a in father, car, mar, par, and not the short sound of the a in care, mare, and pare; but it may be answered, that this want of correspondence between the name of the letter, and the most frequent short sound, is common to the rest of the vowels: for the o, as heard in cot, not, rot, is not the short sound of the o in coat, note, wrote, but of the a in water, or of the diphthongs in caught, naught, and wrought; and if we ought to call the a, ah, because its short sound corresponds to ah, for the very same reason we ought to call the o, au; and a similar alteration must take place with the rest of the vowels. As therefore, from the variety of sounds the vowels have, it is impossible to avoid the inconvenience of sometimes sounding the letter one way in a syllable, and another way in a word, we must either adopt the simple long sound when we would pronounce the letter alone, or invent new names for every different sound in a different word, in order to obviate the difficulty.
It must not be dissembled, however, that the sound of a, when terminating a syllable not under the accent, seems more inclined to the Irish than the English a, and that the ear is less disgusted with the sound of Ah-mer-i-cah than of Ay-mer-i-cay: but to this it may be answered, that letters not under the accent, in a thousand instances, deviate from their true sound; that the vowel a, like several other vowels in a final syllable not accented, has an obscure sound, bordering on u; but if the a, in this situation, were pronounced ever so distinctly, and that this pronunciation were clearly the a in father, it would be nothing to the purpose: when the a is pronounced alone, it may be said not only to be a letter, but a distinct character, and a noun substantive; and, as such, has the same force as the letters in an accented syllable. The letter a, therefore, as the first character in the alphabet, may always be said to have the accent, and ought to have the same long, open sound, as is given to that letter when accented in a syllable, and not influenced in its sound by any preceding or succeeding consonant.
We may therefore conclude, that if all vowels, when pronounced alone, are accented and long, if spelling be the pronunciation of letters alone, (as it would be absurd to suppose ourselves acquainted with the different consonants that determine the sound of the vowels before they are pronounced,) it follows, that in spelling, or repeating the component parts of a word, we ought to give those parts their simple and uncombined sound: but there is no uncombined sound of the vowel a, except the slender sound contended for, unless in the words father and master; and therefore, when we repeat letters singly, in order to declare the sound of a word, we must undoubtedly give the first letter of the alphabet the sound we ever give it in the first syllable of the numerous class la-dy, pa-gan, ma-son, ba-son, etc.
Thus, after placing every objection in its strongest light, and deducing our arguments from the simplest and clearest principles, this important question seems at last decided in favour of the English; who, independent of the arguments in their favour, may be presumed to have a natural right to determine the name of the letter in question, though it has been so often litigated by their formidable and learned, though junior, relations. For though, in some cases, the natives of Ireland and Scotland adhere rather more closely to analogy than the English themselves, yet in this we find the English pronounce perfectly agreeable to rule; and that the slender pronunciation of the letter a, as they pronounce it in the alphabet, is no more than giving it that simple sound, it ever has, when unconnected with vowels or consonants that alter its power.
An appeal to the vulgar for the analogy of language is perhaps as proper as an appeal to the learned and polite, for the best usage. In an old ballad, where the last syllable is made the accented syllable of America, we find it rhymed with the first sound of a, or what may be called its alphabetical sound.
Oh may America
Yield to our Monarch's sway,
And no more contend:
May they their interest see,
With England to agree,
And from oppression free,
All that amend.
Abacus, b′-ks. s. [Latin].
A counting table: the uppermost member of a column.
Abaft, -bft′. ad. (545).
From the fore part of the ship, towards the stern.
To Abandon, -bn′dn. v. a.
To give up, resign, or quit; to desert; to forsake. (166).
Abandoned, -bn′dnd. par. (362)
Given up; forsaken; corrupted in the highest degree.
Abandonment, -bn′dn-mnt. s.
The act of abandoning.
Abarticulation, b-r-tk--l′-shn. s. (290)
That species of articulation that has manifest motion.
To Abase, -bse′. v. a.
To cast down, to depress, to bring low.
Abasement, -bse′mnt. s.
The state of being brought low; depression.
To Abash, -bsh′. v. a.
To make ashamed.
To Abate, -bte′. v. a. (545)
To lessen, to diminish.
To Abate, -bte′. v. n.
To grow less.
Abatement, -bte′mnt. s.
The act of abating; the sum or quantity taken away by the act of abating.
Abater, -b′tr. s. (98)
The agent or cause by which an abatement is procured.
Abb, b. s.
The yarn on a weaver's warp.
Abbacy, b′b-s. s. (452)
The rights, possessions, or privileges of an abbot.
Abbess, b′bss. s.
The superior of a nunnery.
Abbey, or Abby, b′b. s. (270)
A monastery of religious persons, whether men or women.
Abbot, b′bt. s. (l66)
The chief of a convent of men.
To Abbreviate, b-br′v-te. v. a.
To shorten, to cut short. (505)
Abbreviation, b-br-v-′shn. s.
The act of shortening.
Abbreviator, b-br-v-′tr. s.
One who abridges. (521)
Abbreviature, b-br′v--tchre. s. (461)
A mark used for shortening.
To Abdicate, b′d-kte. v. a.
To give up right, to resign. (503)
Abdication, b-d-k′shn. s.
The act of abdicating, resignation.
Abdicative, b′d-c-tve. a. (512)
That which causes or implies an abdication.
☞ Dr. Johnson places the accent on the first syllable of this word, and Mr. Sheridan and Mr. Perry on the second. The former is, in my opinion, the most correct.
Abdomen, b-d′mn. s. (503)
A cavity commonly called the lower venter or belly. (521)
Abdominal, b-dm′m-nl. Abdominous, b-dm′m-ns. a.
Relating to the abdomen.
To Abduce, b-dse′. v. a.
To draw to a different part, to withdraw one part from another.
Abducent, b-d′snt. a.
Muscles abducent serve to open or pull back divers parts of the body.
Abductor, b-dk′tr. s. (166)
The muscles, which draw back the several members.
Abed, -bd′. ad.
In bed.
Aberrance, b-r′rnse. s.
A deviation from the right way, an errour.
Aberrancy, b-r′rn-s.
The same with Aberrance.
Aberrant, b-r′rnt. a.
Wandering from the right or known way.
Aberration, b-r-r′shn. s.
The act of deviating from the common track.
Aberring, b-r′rng. part. (410)
Going astray.
To Aberuncate, b--rn′kte. v. a.
To pull up by the roots. (91)
To Abet, -bt′. v. a.
To push forward another, to support him in his designs by connivance, encouragement, or help.
Abetment, -bt′mnt. s.
The act of abetting.
Abetter, or Abettor, -bt′tr. s.
