usage of the language in similar words, is the most proper in this; and if it appears that general usage, in similar words, is in favour of the old pronunciation, it must certainly, for that reason, be allowed to be the best. And first it may be observed, that as our language is almost as averse to the accent on the last syllable as the Latin, it is a general custom with us, when we adopt a word from the Latin, and abridge it of one or two of its syllables, to remove the accent at least a syllable higher than it was in the original language, that the accent, when the word is naturalized, may not rest on the last. Thus, of Homérus we make Hómer; of Virgílius, Vírgil; and of Horátius, Hórace; Hyacínthus, altered to Hy′acinth, removes the accent two syllables higher; and ceremónia, become céremony, does the same; and no law, that I know of, forbids us to accent academia, or if you will Ακαδημία, when turned into academy, on the first syllable, as it was constantly accented by our ancestors, who, receiving Greek through the medium of Latin, generally pronounced Greek words according to the Latin analogy, and therefore necessarily placed the accent of academia on the third syllable, which, when reduced to academy, required the accent to be removed higher.
But how, it will be said, does this account for placing the accent on the first syllable of the English word academy, rather than the second? To this it may be answered, that the numberless instances of preference given by the accent to the first syllable in similar words, such as melancholy, parsimony, dilatory, etc. might be a sufficient authority without any other reason. But, perhaps, it will be pardoned me if I go farther, and hazard a supposition that seems to account for the very common practice of placing the accent of so many of the longer polysyllables from the Latin on the first or second syllable. Though in the Latin there never was more than one accent upon a word, yet, in our pronunciation of Latin, we commonly place an accent on alternate syllables, as in our own words; and when the Latin word, by being anglicised, becomes shorter, the alternate accent becomes the principal. Thus, in pronouncing the Latin word academia, the English naturally place an accent on the first and third syllable, as if divided into ác-a-dé-mi-a; so that when the word becomes anglicised into ác-a-de-my, the first syllable retains the accent it had when the word was Latin. On the other hand, it may be conjectured with some probability, that a fondness for pronouncing like the French has been the occasion of the alteration. As the English ever suppose the French place the accent on the last syllable, in endeavouring to pronounce this word after their manner, the stress must naturally fall on the second and last syllables, as if divided into ae-cád-a-míe; and from an immitation of this, it is probable, the present pronunciation of the word was produced. Thus we have a very probable reason why so many of our longer words from the Latin are accented so near the beginning; as, in this mode of pronouncing them, they seem to retain one of the accents of the original. Hence the long train of words, voluntary, comparable, disputable, admirable, etc. have the accent on the first syllable; because, in pronouncing the words voluntarius, comparabilis, disputabilis, admirablis, etc. we commonly lay a stress upon the first, as well as the third syllable. As to the analogy, as Mr. Sheridan pretends, of pronouncing this word with the accent on the second syllable, because words ending in my have the accent on the antepenultimate, nothing can be more ill-founded. True it is, that words of this termination never have the accent on the penultimate; but that, for this reason, they must necessarily have the accent on the antepenultimate, I cannot well comprehend. If polygamy, economy, astronomy, etc. (513) have their accent on the antepenultimate, it arises from the nature of the terminations; which being, as it were, a species, and applicable to a thousand other words, have, like logy and graphy, the accent always on the preceding syllable; which seems best to unite the compound into one word: but academy being a simple, is subject to no such rule, and seems naturally to incline to a different analogy of pronunciation. Thus Dr. Johnson seems to have decided justly in saying the word academy ought to have the accent on the first syllable; though present usage, it must be confessed, seems to lead to the contrary pronunciation.Acanthus, -kn′ths. s. (470).
The herb bears-foot.
Acatalectic, -kt--lk′tk. s.
A verse which has the complete number of syllables.
To Accede, k-sde′. v. n.
To be added to, to come to.
To Accelerate, k-sl′lr-te. v. a.
To make quick, to hasten, to quicken motion.
Acceleration, k-sl-lr-′shn. s.
The act of quickening motion; the state of the body accelerated (555).
To Accend, k-snd′. v. a.
To kindle, to set on fire.
Accension, k-sn′shn. s.
The act of kindling, or the state of being kindled.
Accent, k-snt′. s. (486).
The manner of speaking or pronouncing; the marks made upon syllables to regulate their pronunciation; a modification of the voice, expressive of the passions or sentiments.
To Accent, k-snt′. v. a. (492).
To pronounce, to speak words with particular regard to the grammatical marks or rules; to write or note the accents.
Accentual, k-sn′tsh-l. a.
Relating to accents. (463).
☞ This word is in no English Dictionary I have met with; but, conceiving its formation to be perfectly agreeable to the analogy of English adjectives, and finding it used by several very respectable authors, I have ventured to insert it Mr. Foster, in his Essay on Accent and Quantity, says, "When a high note succeeds a low one, or rises above the grave tone of voice, the perception of it is sudden and instantaneous, before the continuance of the note is determined one way or the other for long or short. This I more clearly conceive, than I can perhaps express. I can however engage to make it perceptible to a common English ear in any Greek word, according to its present accentual mark." And Dr. Galley, in his Dissertation against Greek Accents, makes use of the same word, where he says, "for if ПOΣΩI means, according to Mr. Foster, that oratorical or common discourse differs from music only in the number of sounds, i.e. that the former has only four or five notes, but that the latter has many more, then the accentual pronunciation of a Greek sentence will not differ from the singing of the same sentence, when set to four or five corresponding notes in music, i.e. it will, in both cases, be a song."
To Accentuate, k-sn′tsh-te. v.a. (461)
To place the accent properly.
Accentuation, k-sn-tsh-′shn. s.
The act of placing the accent in pronunciation, or writing.
To Accept, k-spt′. v. a.
To take with pleasure, to receive kindly.
Acceptability, k-sp-t-bl′l-t. s.
The quality of being acceptable.
Acceptable, k′sp-t-bl. a.
Grateful, pleasing.
☞ Within these twenty years this word has shifted its accent from the second to the first syllable. There are now few polite speakers who do not pronounce it ac′ceptable; and it is much to be regretted that this pronunciation is become so general; for where consonants of so different an organ as p and t are near the end of a word, the word is pronounced with much more difficulty when the accent is removed higher than when it is arrested by these letters: for, in this case, the force which accompanies the accent facilitates the organs in their transition from the formation of the one letter to the other. As nature, therefore, directs us to place the accent upon these consonants in all words ending in active, ective, ictive, octive, and uctive; actible, ectible, octible, and uctible; so we ought to listen to the same voice in pronouncing acceptable, susceptible, corruptible, with the accent on the second syllable. — See Commendable.
Acceptableness, k′sp-t-bl-nss. s.
The quality of being acceptable.
Acceptably, k′sp-t-bl. ad.
In an acceptable manner.
Acceptance, k-sp′tnse. s.
Reception with approbation.
Acceptation, k-sp-t′shn. s.
Reception, whether good or bad; the meaning of a word.
Accepter, k-sp′tr. s. (98).
The person that accepts.
Acception, k-sp′shn. s.
The received sense of a word; the meaning.
Access, k-sss′. s.
The way by which any thing may be approached; the means, or liberty, of approaching either to things or men; increase, enlargement, addition; the returns or fits of a distemper.
☞ This word is sometimes heard with the accent on the first syllable:
"Hail, water-gruel, healing power,
Of easy access to the poor!"
But this pronunciation ought to be avoided, as contrary to analogy, and the general usage of the language; as may be seen in Johnson, under the word.
Accessariness, k′ss-s-r-nss. s.
The state of being accessary.
Accessary, k′ss-s-r. s.
He that, not being the chief agent in a crime, contributes to it.
Accessary, k′ss-s-r. a.
Joined to, additional, helping forward.
Accessible, k-ss′s-bl. a.
That which may be approached.
Accession, k-ssh′n. s.
Increase by something added; the act of coming to, or joining one′s self to, as, accession to a confederacy; the act of arriving at, as, the king′s accession to the throne.
Accessorily, k′ss-s-r-l. ad.
In the manner of an accessory.
Accessory, k′ss-s-r. a. (557)
Joined to another thing, so as to increase it; additional.
Accidence, k′s-dnse. s.
The little book containing the first rudiments of grammar, and explaining the properties of the eight parts of speech.
