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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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? 10
PRETERITES OF TWO SYLLABLES.
Note. --4bscidi, from cado, has the middle syllable long ;
but abscidi, from scindo, has it short.
Luc. Abscidit imfiuhu ventorum adjuta vetustas.
Idem, Abscidit nostra mvllum sors invida laudi.
Mart. Abscidit vultus ensis uterque sacros.
SECT. VIII.
PRETERITES DOUBLING THE FIRST SYLLABLE.
Prateritum geminans firimam, breviabit utramque :
Ut pario peperi; vetet id nisi consona bina :
Csedo eecidit habet, longd, ceu pedo, secundd.
WHEN the first syllable of the perfect is doubled, the
first and second are both short; as cicini, tettgi.
Virg. Tilyre, te fiatule cecini sub tegmine fagi.
Exception. --Cecidi, from ctedo, and fiefiidi, from fiedot
have the second syllable long.
Juven. Ebriiis ac fietulans, qui nullum forte eecidit.
JVote. --Although the first vowel be long by position in the
present tense, and continue long in the preterite, the pre-
fixed syllable or augment is nevertheless short; as cucurri,
tetendU1 ' .
SECT. IX.
SUPINES OF TWO SYLLABLES.
Cuncta sufiina -volunt firimam dissyllaba longam :
At Reor, et Cieo, Sero, et Ire, Sinoq; Linoq;
Do, Queo, et orta Ruo, breviabunt rite firiores.
u This prefixed syllable is always short, and is in imitation of the old
Greek augment >>. All Latin verbs which had this reduplication, formed
it originally with E j as memordi, spepondi ,? afterwarda momordi, spepondi.
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? . SUPINES OF TWO SYLLABLES. 11
*
SUPINES" of two syllables have the former long; as
Visum, Motum.
Virg. Terribiles viau forma ; Letumque Laborque.
Idem. Qttos ego : sed mbtos firtestat comfionere Jluclus.
Exceptions. --Ratum from Reor, Satum from Sero, Da-
tum from Do, Citum from Cieo, Lltum from Lino, It urn
from Eo, Rutum From Ruo, Quitum from Queo, Situm from
Sino, together with Futum from Fuo,y have the first syllable
short.
Virg. Nos abiisse rati, et vento fietiisse Myccnas.
Idem. At non Hie, satum quo te mentiris, Achilles.
Val. Flac. Fulnus et extrema sonuit cita cusfiide cassis.
Ovid. Hie situs eat Phoethon currus auriga fiaterni.
Citum, from Cieo of the second conjugation, has the first
syllable short; whence citus, quick ; concitus and excitus,
Virg. Altior insurgens et cursu concitus Heros.
Ovid. Ncc fruitur somno vigilantibus excita curis.
But Citum, from do of the fourth conjugation, has the
first syllable long; whence citus, aroused; concitus and
excitus. 1
Luc. Unde ruunt toto concila fiericula mundo.
Idem. Rufita quits fiofiulis stratisque excita juventus.
Ruo has ruitum and rutum in the supine. Its compounds
form the supine in utum, and have the penult short; as
Dirutus, Erutus, Obrutus.
x Supines in etmn are formed by Crasis from Situm; thus fttXtum,
JUtutn. Those in utum, from Utum; as minuitum, minutum; acultum,
acutum. But futum and rutum are formed by Syncope, and therefore
continue short.
y The preterite Jui, and the participle f&turus, both come from the
old verb fab, which is itself of Greek origin, Virgil uses it, JEn. 10.
108. " Tros Rutulusve fuat. "--From fuo are also formed forem and
fore, contracted from fu^rem and fulre. the vowels o and u having been
interchanged frequently in the old Latin, as in the A2o\ic dialect of the
Greeks. --Vide Sanctii Minerv. vol. i. p. 136. 138. ed. Saver.
z But Scitum is always long, whether it come from scio or scisco.
Stilus, from scie, signifies skilful, graceful, &c. j but Scitus, from scisco,
ordained, decreed; whence we have plebis-scitum, a decree of the com-
mons. On the double meaning of the word scitus is founded the pun of
Plautus, Pseud. 2. 4. 5S.