Of the Orthographie and Congruitie of the Britan Tongue | Page 6

bae, q_uhi_lk the greek
symbolizes be eta not alpha, +bê+ not +ba+. See Eustat. in Homer.
10. Of this letter the latines themselfes had tuae other sounds differing
the ane from the other, and beath from this, quhilk they symbolized be
adding an other voual, æ and au. And these they called diphthonges.
11. The diphthong they defyne to be the sound of tuae vouales
coalescing into ane sound, quhilk definition in au is plaen, in æ
obscurer as now we pronunce it, for now we sound it generallie lyke
the voual e, without sound of the a, q_uhi_lk, notwithstanding is the
principal voual in this diphthong sound. Questionles at the first it semes
to have had sum differing sound from a, sik as we pronunce in stean, or
the south in stain. But this corruption is caryed with a stronger tyde
then reason can resist, and we wil not stryve with the stream.
14. E followes, q_uhi_lk in reason sould have but ane sound, for

without doubt the first intent was to geve everie sound the awn symbol,
and everie symbol the awn sound. But as now we sound it in quies and
quiesco, the judiciouse ear may discern tuae soundes. But because heer
we differ not, I wil acquiess. My purpose is not to deal with
impossibilities, nor to mend al crookes, but to conform (if reason wil
conform us) the south and north beath in latine and in English.
15. Af this voual ryseth tuae diphthonges, ei and eu, quhilk beath
standes wel with the definition, sect. 11.
16. Of the next, i, we differ farder, and the knot harder to louse, for
nether syde wantes sum reason. Thei in mihi, tibi, and sik otheres,
pronunce it as it soundes in bide, manere; we as it soundes in bid,
jubere.
17. Among the ancientes I fynd sum groundes for their sound. Cic.
epist. fam. lib. 9, epis. 22, avoues that bini, in latin, and +binei+ in
Greek, had ane sound. And Varro, with sundrie ancientes, wrytes
domineis and serveis, for dominis and servis, quhilk is more lyke the
sound of bide then bid. If this argument reached as wel to i short as i
lang, and if we wer sure how +ei+ was pronunced in those dayes, this
auctoritie wald over-weegh our reason; but seing i, in mihi, _et_c., in
the first is short, and in the last co_m_mon, and the sound of ei
uncertan, I stand at my reason, sect. 9, q_uhi_lk is as powerful heer for
i as ther for a. They pronunce not i in is and quis, id and quid, in and
quin, as they pronunce it in mihi, tibi, sibi, ibi, _et_c., and therfoer not
right.
18. As for o, in latin, we differ not; u, the south pronu_n_ces quhen the
syllab beginnes or endes at it, as eu, teu for tu, and eunum meunus for
unum munus, q_uhi_lk, because it is a diphthong sound, and because
they them selfes, quhen a consonant followes it, pronunce it other
wayes, I hoep I sal not need argumentes to prove it wrang, and not be a
pure voual.

OF THE BRITAN VOUALES.

Cap. 3.
1. Of a, in our tongue we have four soundes, al so differing ane from an
other, that they distinguish the verie signification of wordes, as, a tal
man, a gud tal, a horse tal.
2. Quherfoer in this case I wald co_m_mend to our men the imitation of
the greek and latin, quho, to mend this crook, devysed diphthongs. Let
the simplest of these four soundes, or that q_uhi_lk is now in use, stand
with the voual, and supplie the rest with diphthonges; as, for exemple, I
wald wryte the king's hal with the voual a; a shour of hael, with ae; hail
marie, with ai; and a heal head, as we cal it, quhilk the English cales a
whole head, with ea. And so, besydes the voual, we have of this thre
diphthonges, tuae with a befoer, ae and ai, and ane w_i_th the e befoer,
ea. Ad to them au, howbeit of a distinct sound; as, knaulege with us, in
the south knowlege.
3. These and al other diphthonges I wald counsel the teacheres not to
name be the vouales quherof they are maed, but be the sound q_uhi_lk
they maek, for learneres wil far maer easelie take the sound from the
mouth of the teacher, then maek it them selves of the vouales
ingredient.
4. Of e, we have tuae soundes, q_uhi_lk it is hard to judge q_uhi_lk is
simplest; as, an el, ulna; and an el, anguilla; hel, infernus; and an hel,
calx pedis. Heer I wald com_m_end to our men quhae confoundes
these the imitation of the south, q_uhi_lk doth wel distinguish these
soundes, wryting