slightly convulsive, subdued, and whispering gasp, by which an instantaneous supply of breath is obtained, when the stricture caused by the suffocating effect of grief would otherwise obstruct or suspend too long the function of inspiration. The practice of the sob facilitates the habit of easy and rapid inspiration, and the expression of pathetic emotion. "8. Gasping.-Gasping is an organic act, corresponding somewhat to sobbing, but much more violent, as belonging to the expression of fierce emotions. Its effects, as an exercise in disciplining the organs, are very powerful, and its use in vehement expression, in dramatic passages, highly effective, and, indeed, indispensable to natural effect. "9. Panting.-Panting, as a natural act, in a highly excited state of the circulation, whether caused by extreme muscular exertion or by intense emotion, consists in sudden and violent inspiration and expiration, the latter process predominating in force and sound. It is the only form of respiration practicable in high organic excitement. The practice of panting, as an exercise, imparts energy to the function of respiration, and vigor to the organs. Its effect is inseparable from the expression of ardor and intense earnestness in emotion." OR A II. ORTHOËPY. RTHOËPY is the art of correct pronunciation. It embraces ARTICULATION, SYLLABICATION, and ACCENT. I. ARTICULATION. DEFINITIONS. RTICULATION is the distinct utterance of the Oral 2. ORAL ELEMENTS are the sounds that, uttered separately or in combination, form syllables and words. 3. ORAL ELEMENTS ARE PRODUCED by different positions of the organs of speech, in connection with the voice and the breath. 4. THE PRINCIPAL ORGANS OF SPEECH are the lips, the teeth, the tongue, and the palate. 5. VOICE IS PRODUCED by the action of the breath upon the larynx.1 6. ORAL ELEMENTS ARE DIVIDED into three classes: eighteen TONICS, fifteen SUBTONICS, and ten ATONICS. 7. TONICS are pure tones produced by the voice, with but slight use of the organs of speech. 8. SUBTONICS are tones produced by the voice, modified by the organs of speech. 9. ATONICS are mere breathings, modified by the organs of speech. 10. LETTERS are characters that are used to represent or modify the oral elements. 11. THE ALPHABET IS DIVIDED into vowels and consonants. 12. VOWELS are the letters that usually represent the tonic elements. They are a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes y.2 13. A DIPHTHONG is the union of two vowels in one syllable; as, ou in our. 14. A DIGRAPH, or Improper Diphthong, is the union of two vowels in a syllable, one of which is silent; as, oɑ in loaf, ou in court. 15. A TRIPHTHONG is the union of three vowels in one syllable; as, eau in beau, ieu in adieu. 16. CONSONANTS3 are the letters that usually represent either subtonic or atonic elements. 'Larynx.-The upper part of the trachea, or windpipe. 2 W not a vowel.-As w, standing alone, does not represent a pure or unmodified tone in the English language, it is not here classified Iwith the vowels. 3 Consonant.-The term conso They are of two kinds, nant, literally meaning, sounding with, is applied to these letters and combinations because they are rarely used in words without having a vowel connected with them in the same syllable, although their oral elements may be uttered separately, and without the aid of a vowel. single letters and combined, including all the letters of the alphabet, except the vowels, and the combinations ch, sh, wh, ng; th subtonic, and th atonic. 17. LABIALS are letters whose oral elements are chiefly formed by the lips. They are b, p, w, and wh. M may be regarded as a nasal labial, as its sound is affected by the nose. Fand v are labia-dentals. 18. DENTALS are letters whose oral elements are chiefly formed by the teeth. They are j, s, z, ch, and sh. 19. LINGUALS are letters whose oral elements are chiefly formed by the tongue. They are d, l, r, and t. They are d, l, r, and t. N is a nasal lingual; y, a lingua-palatal, and th, a lingua-dental. 20. PALATALS are letters whose oral elements are chiefly formed by the palate. They are g and k. NG is a nasalpalatal. 21. COGNATES are letters whose oral elements are produced by the same organs, in a similar manner; thus, ƒ is a cognate of v; k of g, &c. 22. ALPHABETIC EQUIVALENTS are letters, or combinations of letters, that represent the same elements, or sounds; thus, ¿ is an equivalent of e, in pique. ORAL ELEMENTS. In sounding the tonics, the organs should be fully opened, and the stream of sound from the throat should be thrown, as much as possible, directly upward against the roof of the mouth. These elements should open with an abrupt and explosive force, and then diminish gradually and equably to the end. In producing the subtonic and atonic elements, it is important to press the organs upon each other with great firmness. and tension; to throw the breath upon them with force; and to prolong the sound sufficiently to give it a full impression on the ear. In addition to the observance of the above directions, pupils should be required to assume an erect posture, either standing or seated, and to keep a full supply of air in the lungs, while uttering the elemental sounds, as arranged in the following 1 Directions.-First require the students to pronounce a catch-word once, and then produce the oral element represented by the figured vowel, or italic consonant, four timesthus: àge, à, à, à, à; åt, å, å, å, å, &c. Exercise the class upon the table till each student can utter consecutively all the oral elements. 2 Long and Short Vowels.-The attention of the class should be called to the fact that the first element, or sound, represented by each of the vowels, is usually indicated by a horizontal line placed over the letter, and the second sound by a curved line. A Fifth-The fifth element, or sound, represented by a, is its first or Alphabetic sound, modified or softened by r. In its production, the lips, placed nearly together, are held immovable while the student tries to say, ā. * A Sixth.—The sixth element represented by a, is a sound intermediate between a, as heard in at, ash, and a, as in arm, art. It is produced by prolonging and slightly softening å. 5 E Third. The third element represented by e, is e as heard in end, prolonged, and modified or softened by r. "O modified.-The modified oral element of o, in this work, is represented by (8 or Ŏ) the same marks as its regular second power. This modified or medium element may be produced by uttering the sound of o in not, slightly softened, with twice its usual volume, or prolongation. It is usually given when short o is immediately followed by ff, ft, ss, st, or th, as in off, soft, cross, cost, broth; also in a number of words where short o is directly followed by n, or final ng, as in gone, begone; long, along, prong, song, strong, thong, throng, wrong. SMART says, To give the extreme short sound of o to such words is affectation; to give them the full sound of broad a (a in all), is vulgar. First require the student to pronounce distinctly the word containing the Atonic element, then the Subtonic Cognate, uttering the element after each word-thus: lip, p; orb, b, &c. The attention of the pupil should be called to the fact that Cognates are produced by the same organs, in a similar 1 U initial-preceded by R.-U, at the beginning of words, when long, has the sound of yu, as in use. When u long, or its alphabetic equivalent ew, is preceded by r, or the sound of sh, in the same syllable, it has always the sound of o in do; as, rude, sure, brew. 'R trilled. In trilling r, the tip of the tongue is made to vibrate against the roof of the mouth. R may be trilled when immediately fol lowed by a vowel in the same syllable. When thus situated in emphatic words, it should always be trilled. Frequently require the student, after a full inhalation, to trill r continuously, as long as possible. Wh-To produce the oral element of wh, the student will blow from the center of the mouth-first compressing the lips, and then suddenly relaxing them while the air is escaping. |