The sound I mean may be either a
vowel, a semi-vowel, or a mute.
J is a consonant in English, but some nations use it as a
vowel -- than which nothing could be more absurd.
For, the maternal and paternal Slowboy were alike unknown to Fame, and Tilly had been bred by public charity, a foundling; which word, though only differing from fondling by one
vowel's length, is very different in meaning, and expresses quite another thing.
At the enunciation of the aspirate, Fuddy-Duddy, the incapable terrapin, came to a dead halt, and before the
vowel had died away up the ravine had folded up all his eight legs and lain down in the dusty road, regardless of the effect upon his derned skin.
There is no doubt that Mr Brass intended some compliment or other; and it has been argued with show of reason that he would have said Buffon, but made use of a superfluous
vowel. Be this as it may, Quilp gave him no time for correction, as he performed that office himself by more than tapping him on the head with the handle of his umbrella.
In reading this you must sound the final "e" in each word except when the next word begins with an "h" or with another
vowel. You will then find it read easily and smoothly.
Naumann's pronunciation of the
vowel seemed to stretch the word satirically.
Therefore, though the whole point of his "Current Shorthand" is that it can express every sound in the language perfectly,
vowels as well as consonants, and that your hand has to make no stroke except the easy and current ones with which you write m, n, and u, l, p, and q, scribbling them at whatever angle comes easiest to you, his unfortunate determination to make this remarkable and quite legible script serve also as a Shorthand reduced it in his own practice to the most inscrutable of cryptograms.
It was a sonorous, harmonious, and flexible dialect, the
vowels seeming to admit of very varied accentuation.
"The senhora is both weelful and pivish," said he, mixing the two
vowels which (with the aspirate) were his only trouble with our tongue.
(All
vowels are held to alliterate with each other.) It will be seen therefore that (1) emphatic stress and (2) alliteration are the basal principles of the system.
The name of a woman should be agreeable, sweet, fanciful; it should end in long
vowels, and resemble words of benediction.' Yes, the sage is right; in truth, Maria, Sophia, la Esmeral--Damnation!