Auldi in medio
libubant
ftocula Bacchi.
Latin - Elements of Latin Prosody and Metre Compiled with Selections
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? SECT. L
PROSODY teaches the proper accent and quantity of
syllables, and the right pronunciation of words.
Syllables are composed of one or more letters, as 2, e-runt.
Letters are divided into vowels and consonants.
The vowels are six, A, E, I, O, U, Y.
From the vowels are formed six diphthongs, M, AU, El,
EU, CE, YI.
The consonants are divided into mutes and semivowels.
The mutes are eight, B, C, D, G, K, P, Q, T. >>
The semivowels are likewise eight, F, L, M,b N, R, S,c
X, Z.
Of the semivowels four are liquids, L, M, N, R.
Two are double letters, viz. X and Z; the X being equal
to CS, GS, or KS, and the Z to DS or TS.
a The letter C was pronounced hard before E, I, and Y, as well as
before A, O, and IT, having the sound of It. In Coins, however, it was
pronounced as G, which peculiarity is noticed by Terentianus, ,de Syllab.
617: hence the Greek writers uniformly spell the name Taioc.
b The final M and final X were pronounced with a slight nasal sound,
as in the French words Faim and Pain, so as to be hardly or not at all
distinguishable from each other. The Portuguese give this sound to the
M, even at the present day, in Latin words. On this principle Dr. Carey
explains the use of the figure EcthUpsis. Thus also, in words derived from
the Greek, the terminations ay, ft, and or, became, in Latin, am, im, and
on or om. So tusum is written for twtmm, conjux for conjunx, to ties for
totiens, fas for Jane; and Greek names in at, sometimes drop the v
in Latin, and sometimes retain it.
c The early Romans did not, in many cases, pronounce the final S,
unless the following word began with a vowel: thus--
Suavis hom*, facundu', suo contenlu', beatus. Ennius.
About Cicero's time it began to be generally sounded, though Cicero him-
self, as well as his contemporaries, Catullus and Lucretius, sometimes
omit it.
A
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? 2
OF LETTERS.
The letter H is generally considered as only a note of
aspiration or breathing. Some ancient grammarians, how-
ever, regarded H as a consonant, and ranked it with the
semivowels.
The letter J was nothing more than the I less fully pro-
nounced, though considered by some of the old grammari-
ans as a species of consonant.
In words of Greek origin, the I is always a vowel; as
Iason, Iocasta, Deianira. A
The U was pronounced like our OO, or broad U, as in
Fool, Rule ; hence the easy transition, in many words, from
O to U, as vulc for volt, virulentua for virolenlus. The
letter U, when it follows G or Q, becomes a liquid vowel,
hardly perceptible in pronunciation, and losing, according
to Priscian, its whole force as a letter in the verse.
The letter V derives its power from the iEolic or Tuscan
digamma. It was used until the time of Claudius, both as a
vowel and a consonant. ; as a consonant having the power of
the iEolic digamma or our W, as a vowel of the common
17. e The Emperor Claudius, disliking this double use of
V, endeavoured to introduce the old ^Eolic or Tuscan cha-
racter of the digamma, and so leave V a vowel only. This
new letter, however, was not used long, but gave way to the
consonant V, which again resumed its double power of
digamma and U. In English, we have the sound of the
W where we use no character at all: the word one, we
pronounce as if it were toonef
d Quinctillan, I. 4, considers the J and I in conjicio as the same vowel
doubled. It has been supposed that the letter J was sounded by the Ro-
mans as it now is by the Germans in Johr, Jena, i. e. exactly like the
Knglish initial Y in Youth, Tear, vit. Yahr, Yena; so that Jupiter, Jbcui,
Jaculum, were pronounced Yupittr, Yocus, Yaculum. Hence the easy
derivation of Julius from lulus. JEncid, I. 292.
e Hence A-n>ispex, avi'spex, auspex; Ca-vri-tum, cavftwn, cautum,
See.
f That the -35olic djgamma resembled most our W in sound, has been
affirmed by writers ot the best authority, as Erasmus, Lipsius, Beotley,
Dawes, and many others. The formation of the sound of the Latin con-
sonant V, as described by Terentianus, corresponds exactly with that of our
W, both being uttered, according to his words, " productius coeuntibua
labellis. " Many words beginning with V in Latin, which have passed into
our own language, are by us used with the W. Thus vinum, -wine ; vasto,
to waste i via, -way; vicus, viick (a terainatiou to several names of
places) j ventus, -wind; vespa, -wasp, &c.
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? ( 3)
SECT. II.
QUANTITY OF SYLLABLES.
SYLLABLES are either short, long, or common.
The quantity of a syllable is the time taken up in pro-
nouncing it.
A short syllable is rapidly pronounced, and consists of one
time; as ci in concido, to fall.
A long syllable is slowly pronounced, requiring generally
double the time occupied in the pronunciation of a short
one; as ci in concido, to cut to pieces.
A common syllable is that which may be made either
short or long, at the option of the poet; as Pafiyrus or
Papyrus, Fuerimus or Fuerimus.
A short syllable is marked thus >>, a long one thus -,
and a common syllable thus a, or thus -<<. b
The quantity of syllables is ascertained either by estab-
lished rules, or by the authority of the best writers.
Quantity is distinct from accent, though not inconsistent
with it. Accent relates merely to the particular elevation
or depression of the voice upon certain syllables; quantity
regards only the period of time occupied in expressing any
one of them. h
In polysyllables, er long words, the last syllable except
one is called the fienultima, or, by contraction, the fienutt,
and the last syllable except two, the ante fienultima.
SECT. III.
A VOWEL BEFORE ANOTHER VOWEL.
Vocalem breviant alia subeunte Latini.
Produc (ni sequitur R) Fio et nomina quintis,
Qua geminos casus, E longo, assumit in Ei:
Verum E corrifiiunt Fideique, speique, reique.
g The reason of these marks having been used, may be seen in Scaliger
de causis Ling. hat. ii. 55.
h See Foster on Jlccent and Quantity, chap. i. J 2; and SanctU
Minerva, vol. i. p. 37, erf. Baver.
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? 4
A VOWEL BEFORE ANOTHER VOWEL.
IUS commune est Vati: firoducilo alius :
Alterius brcvia : Pompei et talia firoduc.
Protrahitiirque Eheu ; sed 16 variatur et Ohe.
Nomina Gracorum certd sine lege vagantur :
Qutcdam etenim longis, ceu DIa, Chorea, Platea ;
Quxdam etiam brevibus, veluti Symphonia, gaudent.
A VOWEL before another vowel, in words of Latin
origin, is short; as Puer, fuit, ruit.
Virg. Disce fiucr virtutem ex me verumque laborem.
The letter H is merely a note of aspiration or breathing;
hence, when it stands between two vowels, the preceding
vowel is short; as nihil.
Exception I. --Flo has the I long in all its tenses, except
5n those in which it is followed by ER ; as fiebam, fiam.
Juv. Fiant ista ftalam cufiient et in acta referri.
If ER follow, the I is short; as fierem, fieri, eonfieri. *
Virg. Confieri fiossit, fiaucis adverte docebo.
Exception II. --The genitives and datives singular of the
fifth declension make E long before I, as Dili, S/ieciei. But
it is found short in S/iei, and both long and short in Rei and
Fidei. k
Ilorat. Vcntum erat ad Vesta quarta jam fiarte diei.
Exception III. --Genitives in IUS have the I long in
prose, though in poetry it is common. Alterius, however,
has the I always short, alius always long.
Virg. Unius ob noxam et Furias Ajacis Oilei.
Horat. Nullius addictus jurare in verba Magistri.
Virg. Quam nostro illius labatur fiectore vultus.
i Yet Terence and PlimtUs make it long. Vide Ter. Ail. i. 2, 26;
Plant. Trin. 2. 4. 131; Bacch. 2. 3. 65; Casin. 4. 1. 2; Amph. 1. 2. 25.
k Rei is found long in Lucretius and Plautus. Fidei is also found long
in Lucretius and Ennms. Dr. Carey supposes that these cases were an-
ciently written both e-i and ei-i, and hence accounts for the variation in the
quantity.
1 Alterius is three times long in Terent. Muurus, tie Syllab. 1072, <fc
JUelr. 32 and 464. Alius is formed by Oasis from Aliius.
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? A VOWEL BEFORE ANOTHER VOWEL.
Tibul. Illius et niticlo stillent unguenta cafiillo.
Prop. Si non unius, quaso, miserere duorum.
Germ. JVulliusgue larem, nullos adit ilia ftenates.
Exception IV. --Such proper names as Ca'ius, Pomfieius,
Vulteius, (supposed to have been originally written with a
diphthong, Cai-ius, Pomfiei-ius, Vultei-ius,) as also Graiust
Veius, 8cc. have the A or E long before I. --The A is also
long in the old genitives auldi, terrdi, &c.
Mart. Quad fieto, da Cat, non fieto consilium.
Ovid. Accifie, Pomfie'i, deductum carmen ab illo.
Manil. Ilia domus flrincefis Trojani Grata belli.
Virg.
Auldi in medio libubant ftocula Bacchi.
Exception V. --In Ohe, Io (whether interjection or pro-
per name), and in Diana, the first syllable is common: io
elieu it is long.
Mart. Ohe jam satis est, ohe, libelle . '
Idem. Rursus, id, magnos clamat tibi Roma triumfihos.
Sil. Quaque ferebatur ductor Sidonius, id.
Prop. Qua tibi causa fuga ? quid, 16,freta longa fiererras ?
Idem. Id, versa cafiut, firimos mugiverat annos.
Mart. Exfierta est numen moriens utriusque Diane.
Ennius. Juno, Vesta, Ceres, Diana, Minerva, Venus, Mars.
Exception VI. --In many Greek words, a vowel is long,
though immediately followed by another; as air, Achaia,
Achetdus, Laertes, Ldodice, and other words compounded
with a. oof, Latous, Enyd, Panchdia, Threicius, Tdygetus,
Trdas, Troius, &c.
Virg. Ifisis est der avibus non aquus, et illte.
Claud. Erubuit Mavors, aversaque risit Enyd,
Exception VII. --Those words which are written in-Greek
with the diphthong EI, and in Latin with a single E or I,
have that E or I long; as JEneas, Alexandria, Antiochia,
Afiamea, Ctssarea, Clio, Darius, Elegia, Laodicea, Mauso-
leum, Museum, Qreades, Panacea, Thalia. "--On the same
principle, most adjectives in EUS, formed from Greek pro-
per names, have the E long; and it continues long, when
m Many words of this class, such as names of towns, temples, or mon.
uments, are in reality only adjectives, with the noun understood;
AMjavifgwa (Vow), Mevruer (''5<<v)> MnwroMiiv (fiinpmv),
A2
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? A VOWEL BEFORE ANOTHER VOWEL.
resolved into EI; as Cythereus, Cythereius; Pagaseus, P*~
gaseius; Pelofieus, Pelofieius ; &c. (See Diaeresis).
Exception VIII. -- Dia, though formed from the Greek
Si>>s, has the penult long--Chorea and filatea, from x? iua anc*
srXanta, have the penult properly long, though in some few
instances it is made short--4cademia and Malea have the
penult common--Idea, fihilosofihic^ eymfihonia, Sec have it
short.
Exception IX. --Greek genitives in EOS, and accusa-
tives in EA, from nominatives in EUS, have the penult
short according to the common dialect, but long according
to the Ionic.
Stat. Tydeos ilia dies : ilium fugiuntque tremuntque.
Ovid. Excitor; et summa Thesea voce voco.
Germ. Regula. Cefihlos vestigia balteus ambit.
Virg. Ilionea fietit dextrd, Unique Serestum.
SECT. IV.
DIPHTHONGS.
Difihthongus longa est in Grecis atque Latinis. --
Prse brevis est, si comfiositum vocalibus anteit.
A Diphthong is long, whether in a Greek or Latin word;
as MHonides, Melibolus, luus, Graius, cilum, firemium.
Virg. O Melibxe, Deus nobis htec otia fecit.
Idem. En Priamus : sunt hie etiam sua firxmia laudi.
Greek proper names in EUS (genitive EOS) always have
the EU a diphthong in the original, and almost always in
Latin.
YI is also a diphthong in Greek names; as Orithyia,
ffarfiyia, Ilithyia, Agyieus.
Ovid. Orithyian amans fulvis amfilectitur alis.
Virg. Et fiatrio intontes Harfiyias fiellere regno.
Horat. Levis Jgyieu.
Two vowels, pronounced in one syllable, are not always
considered in prosody as a diphthong. The letter U, for
example, has the force of a liquid vowel after Q and G^ and
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? 7
does not in these cases lengthen the vowel with which it is
connected in pronunciation: thus, guatio and gueror have
their first, and lingua, sanguis, and aguor, their last syllable
short.
A diphthong is long, because it is the contraction of two
vowel sounds into one, and all syllables formed by contrac-
tion are long. In every syllable formed from two syllables
by contraction, we may suppose a latent or virtual diphthong;
as cogo for coago or conago ; nil for nihil; tibicen for tibii-
cen; mi for mihi; demo for de-emo; debeo for dehibeo or
de-habeo ; ambages for ambeages; big a, triga, guadrigte,
for bijuga, trijuge, guadrijuga; bobus or bubus for bovU
bus; junior for juvepfsr. So also, manuis, manus; manue,
manu ; manues, manus; amiis, amds ; amae, ami; audits,
audis ; audit, audi; Sec.
Exception. --Pre, preceding a vowel in a compound
word, is short; as firaustus, firtcacutus, firxeo. "
Virg. Sliftitibus duris agitur sudibusve firaustis.
Ovid. Quod ubi vidcrunt, firteacuttc cusfiidis hastas.
The jE however is preserved long in Statius, Theb. 6,519,
and Sidonius Apollinaris, Carm. 23.
SECT. V.
POSITION.
Vocalis longa est si consona bina seguatur,
Aut dufilex, aut I vocalibus interjectum.
A vowel is long by position, when followed immediately
by two consonants, either in the same or different words, or
by one double consonant (X or Z); it is long also when fol-
lowed by the letter J; as Terra, draxes, gdza, majora,
Trdja, hujus, cujusP
n The syllable prue being originally prai or prae, ihe latter of the two
vowels is tacitly elided. Thus prxuetus, prxacutiis, pr&eo, become
prlCuetus, pra'acutus, prtfeo, and the a is necessarily jhort by its position
before the succeeding vowel. On the same principle. Ovid and Seneca
make the diphthong short in Mxotit, though it is usually long. Vide Ovid.
Tritt. 3,12, 2. Senec. (Edip. 474.
o The principle on which tbe rule depends is, that is eomeqnence of the
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? 3
POSITION.
Virg. Terra tremit: fugere fern, it mortalia corda.
Luc. Sub juga jam Seres, jam barbarus isset Araxes.
Virg. Sicelides Musa ftaulo majora canamus.
Exception. --Bijugus, quadrijugua, and other similar
compounds of jugum, shorten the vowel before J. p
Virg. Interea bijugis infert se Leucagus albis.
Idem. Centum quadrijugos agitabo ab ftumina currus.
Note. --If the former word end in a short vowel, and the-
next word begin with two consonants, or a double consonant,
the vowel often remains short. 1
SECT. VI.
MUTE AND LIQUID.
Si mutam liquidamque simul brevia una firtcivit,
Contrahit orator, variant in carmine vatea.
Sed si longa firait, semfier tibi longs, manebit.
A short vowel before a mute followed by a liquid, both of
which are in the following syllable, is common in poetry, but
always short in prose ; as Volucris, fiatrem, Cyclofis, cochle-
are, the addition of H to the mute making no difference.
Ovid. Et firimo aimilia volucri, mox vera volucris.
Virg. Natum ante ora fiatris,fiatrem qui obtruncat ad aras.
mora or delay, which the one double, or the two single consonants oppose
to the progress of the Voice, the vowel is necessarily lengthened. --With
regard to the letter J, how. ever, it is in such cases as these an actual vowel,
and makes a diphthong with the vowel which precedes; as mai-ora, Troi-a,
--In like manner hujits and cujus were originally trisyllables. The former
was hu-i-us, hence nui-us or hujus; and from qui-i-us, qm-i-us, cu-i-us,
came cui-us or cujut.
p JBijugut, quaclrijugus, &e. are nothing more than btiugus, quadriiu-
flll, &c. jugum being in reality i-ugum or yugum. Hence in the meeting
of the two vowels in composition, the former is tacitly elided, leaving the
words b'i&gus, quadr'i&gut, Ssc
q The initial SC, SP, SQ, ST, however, (with or without the addition
of a third consonant, as in SCRipta, 8cc. ) have exactly the same power over
a preceding short final vowel, as a mute and liquid have over a preceding
short vowel in the body of a word; that is to say, the vowel in question may
in every case either remain short, or be made long, at the option of the
poet
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? MUTE AND LIQUID.
JVote. <--This rule depends on three conditions ; viz.
1. The liquid must follow the mute. If it stand before
the mute, the preceding syllable, though naturally short,
becomes always long; as fert, fertis. T
2. The mute and liquid must belong to the same syllable.
If they belong to different syllables, the preceding short
vowel becomes necessarily long; as db-luo, 6b-ruo, dd-nitor. '
3. The vowel must be naturally short. A vowel naturally
long, is never rendered short by a mute and liquid following;
as mdtris, salubris, diri.
SECT. VII.
PRETERITES OF TWO SYLLABLES.
Prtterila assumunt primam dissyllaba longam.
Sto, do, scindo, fero, raftiunt Bibo, findo firiorea.
PRETERITES of two syllables have the former long;
as Yeniy vidi, viciS
Virg. Venit summa dies, el ineluctable temfius.
Idem. Quos ubi confcrtos audere in firalia vidi.
Idem. Contra ego -vivendo -vici mea fata sufierstes.
Exception. --S/eii, dedi, scldi, luli, bibi,fidi from findo,
have the first syllable short.
Mart. Dixit et ardentes avido bibit ore favilla*.
Luc', jiut scidit et mediae fecit sibi litera terras.
Virg. Diffidit, et mull a fiorrectum extendit arena.
r To determine in many cases whether a syllable, which we find long
before two consonants, be naturally long, or only rendered so by that posi-
tion, we must look to the word in a different state, where the position does
not take place.
s Before some less smooth combinations of mute and liquid, the vowel,
on account of the different division of syllables, may remain short, in words
of Greek origin ; as ey-cnus, i-chneumon, A-tlas, DH-phne, J*ro-cne,
Tl-cmes>>a.
t Quinctilian, 1. 7. says, that before the time of Accius, and even after it,
the ancients used to write their long syllables with two vowels. What we
now write coq-o, was then cdago g edgito, cdttgito; captivi, captivei;
libtj, ieibo; dico, deico . * so the preterites with the temporal augment,
Tini, vttni; vidi, vftdi; imi, Zgmi; igi, itgi. Instances of this kind
" may be seen in every line of the Leges Regitt and Deccmvirales, col-
lected, by Lipsius.
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? SECT. L
PROSODY teaches the proper accent and quantity of
syllables, and the right pronunciation of words.
Syllables are composed of one or more letters, as 2, e-runt.
Letters are divided into vowels and consonants.
The vowels are six, A, E, I, O, U, Y.
From the vowels are formed six diphthongs, M, AU, El,
EU, CE, YI.
The consonants are divided into mutes and semivowels.
The mutes are eight, B, C, D, G, K, P, Q, T. >>
The semivowels are likewise eight, F, L, M,b N, R, S,c
X, Z.
Of the semivowels four are liquids, L, M, N, R.
Two are double letters, viz. X and Z; the X being equal
to CS, GS, or KS, and the Z to DS or TS.
a The letter C was pronounced hard before E, I, and Y, as well as
before A, O, and IT, having the sound of It. In Coins, however, it was
pronounced as G, which peculiarity is noticed by Terentianus, ,de Syllab.
617: hence the Greek writers uniformly spell the name Taioc.
b The final M and final X were pronounced with a slight nasal sound,
as in the French words Faim and Pain, so as to be hardly or not at all
distinguishable from each other. The Portuguese give this sound to the
M, even at the present day, in Latin words. On this principle Dr. Carey
explains the use of the figure EcthUpsis. Thus also, in words derived from
the Greek, the terminations ay, ft, and or, became, in Latin, am, im, and
on or om. So tusum is written for twtmm, conjux for conjunx, to ties for
totiens, fas for Jane; and Greek names in at, sometimes drop the v
in Latin, and sometimes retain it.
c The early Romans did not, in many cases, pronounce the final S,
unless the following word began with a vowel: thus--
Suavis hom*, facundu', suo contenlu', beatus. Ennius.
About Cicero's time it began to be generally sounded, though Cicero him-
self, as well as his contemporaries, Catullus and Lucretius, sometimes
omit it.
A
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? 2
OF LETTERS.
The letter H is generally considered as only a note of
aspiration or breathing. Some ancient grammarians, how-
ever, regarded H as a consonant, and ranked it with the
semivowels.
The letter J was nothing more than the I less fully pro-
nounced, though considered by some of the old grammari-
ans as a species of consonant.
In words of Greek origin, the I is always a vowel; as
Iason, Iocasta, Deianira. A
The U was pronounced like our OO, or broad U, as in
Fool, Rule ; hence the easy transition, in many words, from
O to U, as vulc for volt, virulentua for virolenlus. The
letter U, when it follows G or Q, becomes a liquid vowel,
hardly perceptible in pronunciation, and losing, according
to Priscian, its whole force as a letter in the verse.
The letter V derives its power from the iEolic or Tuscan
digamma. It was used until the time of Claudius, both as a
vowel and a consonant. ; as a consonant having the power of
the iEolic digamma or our W, as a vowel of the common
17. e The Emperor Claudius, disliking this double use of
V, endeavoured to introduce the old ^Eolic or Tuscan cha-
racter of the digamma, and so leave V a vowel only. This
new letter, however, was not used long, but gave way to the
consonant V, which again resumed its double power of
digamma and U. In English, we have the sound of the
W where we use no character at all: the word one, we
pronounce as if it were toonef
d Quinctillan, I. 4, considers the J and I in conjicio as the same vowel
doubled. It has been supposed that the letter J was sounded by the Ro-
mans as it now is by the Germans in Johr, Jena, i. e. exactly like the
Knglish initial Y in Youth, Tear, vit. Yahr, Yena; so that Jupiter, Jbcui,
Jaculum, were pronounced Yupittr, Yocus, Yaculum. Hence the easy
derivation of Julius from lulus. JEncid, I. 292.
e Hence A-n>ispex, avi'spex, auspex; Ca-vri-tum, cavftwn, cautum,
See.
f That the -35olic djgamma resembled most our W in sound, has been
affirmed by writers ot the best authority, as Erasmus, Lipsius, Beotley,
Dawes, and many others. The formation of the sound of the Latin con-
sonant V, as described by Terentianus, corresponds exactly with that of our
W, both being uttered, according to his words, " productius coeuntibua
labellis. " Many words beginning with V in Latin, which have passed into
our own language, are by us used with the W. Thus vinum, -wine ; vasto,
to waste i via, -way; vicus, viick (a terainatiou to several names of
places) j ventus, -wind; vespa, -wasp, &c.
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? ( 3)
SECT. II.
QUANTITY OF SYLLABLES.
SYLLABLES are either short, long, or common.
The quantity of a syllable is the time taken up in pro-
nouncing it.
A short syllable is rapidly pronounced, and consists of one
time; as ci in concido, to fall.
A long syllable is slowly pronounced, requiring generally
double the time occupied in the pronunciation of a short
one; as ci in concido, to cut to pieces.
A common syllable is that which may be made either
short or long, at the option of the poet; as Pafiyrus or
Papyrus, Fuerimus or Fuerimus.
A short syllable is marked thus >>, a long one thus -,
and a common syllable thus a, or thus -<<. b
The quantity of syllables is ascertained either by estab-
lished rules, or by the authority of the best writers.
Quantity is distinct from accent, though not inconsistent
with it. Accent relates merely to the particular elevation
or depression of the voice upon certain syllables; quantity
regards only the period of time occupied in expressing any
one of them. h
In polysyllables, er long words, the last syllable except
one is called the fienultima, or, by contraction, the fienutt,
and the last syllable except two, the ante fienultima.
SECT. III.
A VOWEL BEFORE ANOTHER VOWEL.
Vocalem breviant alia subeunte Latini.
Produc (ni sequitur R) Fio et nomina quintis,
Qua geminos casus, E longo, assumit in Ei:
Verum E corrifiiunt Fideique, speique, reique.
g The reason of these marks having been used, may be seen in Scaliger
de causis Ling. hat. ii. 55.
h See Foster on Jlccent and Quantity, chap. i. J 2; and SanctU
Minerva, vol. i. p. 37, erf. Baver.
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? 4
A VOWEL BEFORE ANOTHER VOWEL.
IUS commune est Vati: firoducilo alius :
Alterius brcvia : Pompei et talia firoduc.
Protrahitiirque Eheu ; sed 16 variatur et Ohe.
Nomina Gracorum certd sine lege vagantur :
Qutcdam etenim longis, ceu DIa, Chorea, Platea ;
Quxdam etiam brevibus, veluti Symphonia, gaudent.
A VOWEL before another vowel, in words of Latin
origin, is short; as Puer, fuit, ruit.
Virg. Disce fiucr virtutem ex me verumque laborem.
The letter H is merely a note of aspiration or breathing;
hence, when it stands between two vowels, the preceding
vowel is short; as nihil.
Exception I. --Flo has the I long in all its tenses, except
5n those in which it is followed by ER ; as fiebam, fiam.
Juv. Fiant ista ftalam cufiient et in acta referri.
If ER follow, the I is short; as fierem, fieri, eonfieri. *
Virg. Confieri fiossit, fiaucis adverte docebo.
Exception II. --The genitives and datives singular of the
fifth declension make E long before I, as Dili, S/ieciei. But
it is found short in S/iei, and both long and short in Rei and
Fidei. k
Ilorat. Vcntum erat ad Vesta quarta jam fiarte diei.
Exception III. --Genitives in IUS have the I long in
prose, though in poetry it is common. Alterius, however,
has the I always short, alius always long.
Virg. Unius ob noxam et Furias Ajacis Oilei.
Horat. Nullius addictus jurare in verba Magistri.
Virg. Quam nostro illius labatur fiectore vultus.
i Yet Terence and PlimtUs make it long. Vide Ter. Ail. i. 2, 26;
Plant. Trin. 2. 4. 131; Bacch. 2. 3. 65; Casin. 4. 1. 2; Amph. 1. 2. 25.
k Rei is found long in Lucretius and Plautus. Fidei is also found long
in Lucretius and Ennms. Dr. Carey supposes that these cases were an-
ciently written both e-i and ei-i, and hence accounts for the variation in the
quantity.
1 Alterius is three times long in Terent. Muurus, tie Syllab. 1072, <fc
JUelr. 32 and 464. Alius is formed by Oasis from Aliius.
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? A VOWEL BEFORE ANOTHER VOWEL.
Tibul. Illius et niticlo stillent unguenta cafiillo.
Prop. Si non unius, quaso, miserere duorum.
Germ. JVulliusgue larem, nullos adit ilia ftenates.
Exception IV. --Such proper names as Ca'ius, Pomfieius,
Vulteius, (supposed to have been originally written with a
diphthong, Cai-ius, Pomfiei-ius, Vultei-ius,) as also Graiust
Veius, 8cc. have the A or E long before I. --The A is also
long in the old genitives auldi, terrdi, &c.
Mart. Quad fieto, da Cat, non fieto consilium.
Ovid. Accifie, Pomfie'i, deductum carmen ab illo.
Manil. Ilia domus flrincefis Trojani Grata belli.
Virg.
Auldi in medio libubant ftocula Bacchi.
Exception V. --In Ohe, Io (whether interjection or pro-
per name), and in Diana, the first syllable is common: io
elieu it is long.
Mart. Ohe jam satis est, ohe, libelle . '
Idem. Rursus, id, magnos clamat tibi Roma triumfihos.
Sil. Quaque ferebatur ductor Sidonius, id.
Prop. Qua tibi causa fuga ? quid, 16,freta longa fiererras ?
Idem. Id, versa cafiut, firimos mugiverat annos.
Mart. Exfierta est numen moriens utriusque Diane.
Ennius. Juno, Vesta, Ceres, Diana, Minerva, Venus, Mars.
Exception VI. --In many Greek words, a vowel is long,
though immediately followed by another; as air, Achaia,
Achetdus, Laertes, Ldodice, and other words compounded
with a. oof, Latous, Enyd, Panchdia, Threicius, Tdygetus,
Trdas, Troius, &c.
Virg. Ifisis est der avibus non aquus, et illte.
Claud. Erubuit Mavors, aversaque risit Enyd,
Exception VII. --Those words which are written in-Greek
with the diphthong EI, and in Latin with a single E or I,
have that E or I long; as JEneas, Alexandria, Antiochia,
Afiamea, Ctssarea, Clio, Darius, Elegia, Laodicea, Mauso-
leum, Museum, Qreades, Panacea, Thalia. "--On the same
principle, most adjectives in EUS, formed from Greek pro-
per names, have the E long; and it continues long, when
m Many words of this class, such as names of towns, temples, or mon.
uments, are in reality only adjectives, with the noun understood;
AMjavifgwa (Vow), Mevruer (''5<<v)> MnwroMiiv (fiinpmv),
A2
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? A VOWEL BEFORE ANOTHER VOWEL.
resolved into EI; as Cythereus, Cythereius; Pagaseus, P*~
gaseius; Pelofieus, Pelofieius ; &c. (See Diaeresis).
Exception VIII. -- Dia, though formed from the Greek
Si>>s, has the penult long--Chorea and filatea, from x? iua anc*
srXanta, have the penult properly long, though in some few
instances it is made short--4cademia and Malea have the
penult common--Idea, fihilosofihic^ eymfihonia, Sec have it
short.
Exception IX. --Greek genitives in EOS, and accusa-
tives in EA, from nominatives in EUS, have the penult
short according to the common dialect, but long according
to the Ionic.
Stat. Tydeos ilia dies : ilium fugiuntque tremuntque.
Ovid. Excitor; et summa Thesea voce voco.
Germ. Regula. Cefihlos vestigia balteus ambit.
Virg. Ilionea fietit dextrd, Unique Serestum.
SECT. IV.
DIPHTHONGS.
Difihthongus longa est in Grecis atque Latinis. --
Prse brevis est, si comfiositum vocalibus anteit.
A Diphthong is long, whether in a Greek or Latin word;
as MHonides, Melibolus, luus, Graius, cilum, firemium.
Virg. O Melibxe, Deus nobis htec otia fecit.
Idem. En Priamus : sunt hie etiam sua firxmia laudi.
Greek proper names in EUS (genitive EOS) always have
the EU a diphthong in the original, and almost always in
Latin.
YI is also a diphthong in Greek names; as Orithyia,
ffarfiyia, Ilithyia, Agyieus.
Ovid. Orithyian amans fulvis amfilectitur alis.
Virg. Et fiatrio intontes Harfiyias fiellere regno.
Horat. Levis Jgyieu.
Two vowels, pronounced in one syllable, are not always
considered in prosody as a diphthong. The letter U, for
example, has the force of a liquid vowel after Q and G^ and
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? 7
does not in these cases lengthen the vowel with which it is
connected in pronunciation: thus, guatio and gueror have
their first, and lingua, sanguis, and aguor, their last syllable
short.
A diphthong is long, because it is the contraction of two
vowel sounds into one, and all syllables formed by contrac-
tion are long. In every syllable formed from two syllables
by contraction, we may suppose a latent or virtual diphthong;
as cogo for coago or conago ; nil for nihil; tibicen for tibii-
cen; mi for mihi; demo for de-emo; debeo for dehibeo or
de-habeo ; ambages for ambeages; big a, triga, guadrigte,
for bijuga, trijuge, guadrijuga; bobus or bubus for bovU
bus; junior for juvepfsr. So also, manuis, manus; manue,
manu ; manues, manus; amiis, amds ; amae, ami; audits,
audis ; audit, audi; Sec.
Exception. --Pre, preceding a vowel in a compound
word, is short; as firaustus, firtcacutus, firxeo. "
Virg. Sliftitibus duris agitur sudibusve firaustis.
Ovid. Quod ubi vidcrunt, firteacuttc cusfiidis hastas.
The jE however is preserved long in Statius, Theb. 6,519,
and Sidonius Apollinaris, Carm. 23.
SECT. V.
POSITION.
Vocalis longa est si consona bina seguatur,
Aut dufilex, aut I vocalibus interjectum.
A vowel is long by position, when followed immediately
by two consonants, either in the same or different words, or
by one double consonant (X or Z); it is long also when fol-
lowed by the letter J; as Terra, draxes, gdza, majora,
Trdja, hujus, cujusP
n The syllable prue being originally prai or prae, ihe latter of the two
vowels is tacitly elided. Thus prxuetus, prxacutiis, pr&eo, become
prlCuetus, pra'acutus, prtfeo, and the a is necessarily jhort by its position
before the succeeding vowel. On the same principle. Ovid and Seneca
make the diphthong short in Mxotit, though it is usually long. Vide Ovid.
Tritt. 3,12, 2. Senec. (Edip. 474.
o The principle on which tbe rule depends is, that is eomeqnence of the
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? 3
POSITION.
Virg. Terra tremit: fugere fern, it mortalia corda.
Luc. Sub juga jam Seres, jam barbarus isset Araxes.
Virg. Sicelides Musa ftaulo majora canamus.
Exception. --Bijugus, quadrijugua, and other similar
compounds of jugum, shorten the vowel before J. p
Virg. Interea bijugis infert se Leucagus albis.
Idem. Centum quadrijugos agitabo ab ftumina currus.
Note. --If the former word end in a short vowel, and the-
next word begin with two consonants, or a double consonant,
the vowel often remains short. 1
SECT. VI.
MUTE AND LIQUID.
Si mutam liquidamque simul brevia una firtcivit,
Contrahit orator, variant in carmine vatea.
Sed si longa firait, semfier tibi longs, manebit.
A short vowel before a mute followed by a liquid, both of
which are in the following syllable, is common in poetry, but
always short in prose ; as Volucris, fiatrem, Cyclofis, cochle-
are, the addition of H to the mute making no difference.
Ovid. Et firimo aimilia volucri, mox vera volucris.
Virg. Natum ante ora fiatris,fiatrem qui obtruncat ad aras.
mora or delay, which the one double, or the two single consonants oppose
to the progress of the Voice, the vowel is necessarily lengthened. --With
regard to the letter J, how. ever, it is in such cases as these an actual vowel,
and makes a diphthong with the vowel which precedes; as mai-ora, Troi-a,
--In like manner hujits and cujus were originally trisyllables. The former
was hu-i-us, hence nui-us or hujus; and from qui-i-us, qm-i-us, cu-i-us,
came cui-us or cujut.
p JBijugut, quaclrijugus, &e. are nothing more than btiugus, quadriiu-
flll, &c. jugum being in reality i-ugum or yugum. Hence in the meeting
of the two vowels in composition, the former is tacitly elided, leaving the
words b'i&gus, quadr'i&gut, Ssc
q The initial SC, SP, SQ, ST, however, (with or without the addition
of a third consonant, as in SCRipta, 8cc. ) have exactly the same power over
a preceding short final vowel, as a mute and liquid have over a preceding
short vowel in the body of a word; that is to say, the vowel in question may
in every case either remain short, or be made long, at the option of the
poet
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? MUTE AND LIQUID.
JVote. <--This rule depends on three conditions ; viz.
1. The liquid must follow the mute. If it stand before
the mute, the preceding syllable, though naturally short,
becomes always long; as fert, fertis. T
2. The mute and liquid must belong to the same syllable.
If they belong to different syllables, the preceding short
vowel becomes necessarily long; as db-luo, 6b-ruo, dd-nitor. '
3. The vowel must be naturally short. A vowel naturally
long, is never rendered short by a mute and liquid following;
as mdtris, salubris, diri.
SECT. VII.
PRETERITES OF TWO SYLLABLES.
Prtterila assumunt primam dissyllaba longam.
Sto, do, scindo, fero, raftiunt Bibo, findo firiorea.
PRETERITES of two syllables have the former long;
as Yeniy vidi, viciS
Virg. Venit summa dies, el ineluctable temfius.
Idem. Quos ubi confcrtos audere in firalia vidi.
Idem. Contra ego -vivendo -vici mea fata sufierstes.
Exception. --S/eii, dedi, scldi, luli, bibi,fidi from findo,
have the first syllable short.
Mart. Dixit et ardentes avido bibit ore favilla*.
Luc', jiut scidit et mediae fecit sibi litera terras.
Virg. Diffidit, et mull a fiorrectum extendit arena.
r To determine in many cases whether a syllable, which we find long
before two consonants, be naturally long, or only rendered so by that posi-
tion, we must look to the word in a different state, where the position does
not take place.
s Before some less smooth combinations of mute and liquid, the vowel,
on account of the different division of syllables, may remain short, in words
of Greek origin ; as ey-cnus, i-chneumon, A-tlas, DH-phne, J*ro-cne,
Tl-cmes>>a.
t Quinctilian, 1. 7. says, that before the time of Accius, and even after it,
the ancients used to write their long syllables with two vowels. What we
now write coq-o, was then cdago g edgito, cdttgito; captivi, captivei;
libtj, ieibo; dico, deico . * so the preterites with the temporal augment,
Tini, vttni; vidi, vftdi; imi, Zgmi; igi, itgi. Instances of this kind
" may be seen in every line of the Leges Regitt and Deccmvirales, col-
lected, by Lipsius.
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