1001 Questions and Answers on Orthography and Reading | Page 7

k, or v, except in
the word valve; also, before d in could, etc.
22. When is M silent? Before n in a few words.
23. When is N silent? Final after l or m.
24. When is P silent? Initial before n, s, or t.
25. When is S silent? In a few irregular words; as, isle, puisne, viscount,
corps, etc.
26. When is T silent? Before ch in the same syllable; also, in Christmas,
eclat, mortgage, etc.
27. When is V silent? In two words only--Sevennight and Twelvemonth.
28. When is W silent? Before r in the same syllable also, in whoop,
sword, two, etc.
29. When is Gh silent? After i
in the same syllable; also, after au and
ou in some words.
30. When is Ch silent? In a few words; as, drachm, yacht, etc.
31. When is Z silent? In one word only--Rendezvous.
32. What letters are never silent? F, J, Q, and R.
33. What is meant by Antecedent part of a syllable? That part before
the vowel.
34. What is the Consequent part of a syllable? That part which follows

the vowel.
35. How many words end in Ceed? Three.
36. What are they? Exceed, proceed, and succeed.
37. How many of the English words are derived from the Latin? About,
three-fourths.
38. What Language is called "Our mother tongue?" Anglo-Saxon.
39. From what language do we get most of our Scientific terms? The
Greek.
40. How many English words begin with IN as a prefix? Two hundred
and fifty.
41. How many begin with im? Seventy-five.
42. How many begin with un? About two thousand.
43. Were final E not silent, what would be the result? Another syllable
would be formed.
44. When is final E dropped in spelling? Before vowel terminations
mostly.
45. _Why is the final E retained in such words as changeable and
traceable?_ To preserve the soft sound of the c or g.
46. In the words fleeing, seeing, etc., why retain both Es? To determine
the proper meaning of the word.
47 What is a Figure of orthography? Any departure from the ordinary
spelling of a word.
48. How many Figures are there? Two.
49 What are they? Archaism and Mimesis.

50. What is Archaism? The spelling of a word according to ancient
usage.
51. What is Mimesis? The spelling of a word in imitation of a false
pronunciation.
52. When is i used as a consonant? When followed by a vowel in the
same syllable; as in alien, etc.
53. When is y final changed to e? Before the suffix ous; as in
beauteous.
54. When is y final changed to i? Before the suffix ful; as in beautiful.
55. What is a Redundant prefix? One that does not change the
signification of the root; as, a in the word adry.
56. When is ie changed to y? Before the ending ing.
57. When use the digraph ei in spelling? Ei follows c soft, and begins
words.
58. When use ie in spelling? Ie follows consonants (except c soft), and
ends words.
59. In changing the word hoe to hoeing, why retain the e? To preserve
its signification.
60. What is the origin of the suffix less? Anglo-Saxon.
61. What is the origin of the word English? It is derived from the word
Angles.
62. Who were the Angles? They were a tribe of people who came from
the land of the Low Germans and settled in Britain in the fifth century.
63. What does the word England mean? "The land of the Angles."
64. Why is our language sometimes called the "Teutonic language"?

Because it is derived from the ancient Germans, who were called
Teutons.
65. What kind of words end in ize? Verbs derived from the Greek.
66. What kind of words end in ise? Most words derived from the
French.
67. Why is the English called a Composite Language? Because it is
derived from so many different sources.
68. _Does adding a single consonant to a word ever make an additional
syllable?_ It does.
69. Give examples. Grade, grad-ed; confide, con-fi-ded.
70. Can a word be compound and derivative at the same time? It can;
as, ball-player.
71. _How distinguish between an affix and a part of a compound
word?_ If all the parts retain their literal signification they form a
compound; if not, the part which loses its signification becomes an
affix in a derivative.
72. Is the word outside compound or derivative? It is compound.
73. Is the word outrun compound or derivative? It is derivative.
74. What is Derivation? That branch of etymology which treats of the
sources of the words of a language.
75. How many kinds of Derivation? Two.
76. What are they? Paronymous and Historical.
77. What is Paronymous derivation?