New Latin Grammar | Page 7

amandus. A few exceptions occur in compounds whose first
member has a long vowel; as, nÅndum (nÅn dum).
b) before another vowel, or h; as, meus, trahÅ. Some exceptions occur, chiefly in proper
names derived from the Greek; as, AenÄ“Äs.
B. Quantity of Syllables.
Syllables are distinguished as long or short according to the length of time required for
their pronunciation.
1. A syllable is long,[7]--
a) if it contains a long vowel; as, mÄter, rÄ“gnum, dÄ«us.
b) if it contains a diphthong; as, causae, foedus.
c) if it contains a short vowel followed by x, z, or any two consonants (except a mute
with l or r); as, axis, gaza, restÅ.
2. A syllable is short, if it contains a short vowel followed by a vowel or by a single
consonant; as, mea, amat.
3. Sometimes a syllable varies in quantity, viz. when its vowel is short and is followed by
a mute with l or r, i.e. by pl, cl, tl; pr, cr, tr, etc.; as, ăgrÄ«, volÅ-cris.[8] Such syllables
are called common. In prose they were regularly short, but in verse they might be treated
as long at the option of the poet.
NOTE.--These distinctions of long and short are not arbitrary and artificial, but are
purely natural. Thus, a syllable containing a short vowel followed by two consonants, as
ng, is long, because such a syllable requires more time for its pronunciation; while a
syllable containing a short vowel followed by one consonant is short, because it takes less
time to pronounce it. In case of the common syllables, the mute and the liquid blend so
easily as to produce a combination which takes no more time than a single consonant. Yet

by separating the two elements (as ag-rī) the poets were able to use such syllables as
long.
ACCENT.
6. 1. Words of two syllables are accented upon the first; as, tégit, mÅ´rem.
2. Words of more than two syllables are accented upon the penult (next to the last) if that
is a long syllable, otherwise upon the antepenult (second from the last); as, amĴvī,
amántis, mÃ-serum.
3. When the enclitics -que, -ne, -ve, -ce, -met, -dum are appended to words, if the syllable
preceding the enclitic is long (either originally or as a result of adding the enclitic) it is
accented; as, miserÅ´que, hominÃ-sque. But if the syllable still remains short after the
enclitic has been added, it is not accented unless the word originally took the accent on
the antepenult. Thus, pórtaque; but mÃ-seráque.
4. Sometimes the final -e of -ne and -ce disappears, but without affecting the accent; as,
tantÅ´n, istī´c, illū´c.
5. In utră´que, each, and plēră´que, most, -que is not properly an enclitic; yet
these words accent the penult, owing to the influence of their other cases,--utérque,
utrúmque, plērúmque.
VOWEL CHANGES.[9]
7.. 1. In Compounds,
a) Ä• before a single consonant becomes Ä-; as,--
colligÅ for con-legÅ.
b) ă before a single consonant becomes Ä-: as,--
adigÅ for ad-agÅ.
c) ă before two consonants becomes ē; as,--
expers for ex-pars.
d) ae becomes Ä«; as,--
conquÄ«rÅ for con-quaerÅ.
e) au becomes Å«, sometimes Å; as,--
conclÅ«dÅ for con-claudÅ; explÅdÅ for ex-plaudÅ.
2. Contraction. Concurrent vowels were frequently contracted into one long vowel. The

first of the two vowels regularly prevailed; as,--
trÄ“s for tre-es; cÅpia for co-opia; mÄlÅ for ma(v)elÅ; cÅgÅ for co-agÅ; amÄstÄ« for
amÄ(v)istÄ«; cÅmÅ for co-emÅ; dÄ“beÅ for dÄ“(h)abeÅ; jÅ«nior for ju(v)enior. nÄ«l
for nihil;
3. Parasitic Vowels. In the environment of liquids and nasals a parasitic vowel sometimes
develops; as,--
vinculum for earlier vinclum.
So perīculum, saeculum.
4. Syncope. Sometimes a vowel drops out by syncope; as,--
Ärdor for Äridor (compare _Äridus_); valdÄ“ for validÄ“ (compare _validus_).
CONSONANT CHANGES[10]
8. 1. Rhotacism. An original s between vowels became r; as,--
arbÅs, Gen. arboris (for arbosis); genus, Gen. generis (for genesis); dirimÅ (for
dis-emÅ).
2. dt, tt, ts each give s or ss; as,--
pēnsum for pend-tum; versum for vert-tum; mīles for mīlet-s; sessus for sedtus;
passus for pattus.
3. Final consonants were often omitted; as,--
cor for cord; lac for lact.
4. Assimilation of Consonants. Consonants are often assimilated to a following sound.
Thus: accurrÅ (adc-); aggerÅ (adg-); asserÅ (ads-); allÄtus (adl-); apportÅ (adp-);
attulÄ« (adt-); arrÄ«deÅ (adr-); afferÅ (adf-); occurrÅ (obc-); suppÅnÅ (subp-); offerÅ
(obf-); corruÅ (comr-); collÄtus (coml-); etc.
5. Partial Assimilation. Sometimes the assimilation is only partial. Thus:--
a) b before s or t becomes p; as,--
scrīpsī (scrīb-sī), scrīptum (scrīb-tum).
b) g before s or t becomes c; as,--
Äctus (Äg-tus).
c) m before a dental or guttural becomes n; as,--

eundem (eum-dem); prīnceps (prīm-ceps).
PECULIARITIES OF ORTHOGRAPHY.
9. Many words have variable orthography.
1. Sometimes the different forms belong to different periods of the language. Thus, quom,
voltus, volnus, volt, etc., were the prevailing