: tonic sounds, combined with such other elements as have no occlusion and consequently the length of the syllable would be limited only by the time of expiration. But from the influence of the radical and vanish, in the utterance of the common aggregates of elementary sounds, the duration of a syllable is quickly arrested. There are twelve tonics; fourteen subtonics; nine atonics; and six abrupt elements. Twelve of these, the nine atonics and the three abrupt subtonics, being productive of an interruption to the continuity of the syllabic impulse, the mingling of all the elements must give one of these a position in every third or fourth place among the tonics and subtonics, and thereby set a limit to the duration of syllabic sound. Sometimes this interruption produces syllables of two elements only and it has never, I believe, in the English language, allowed any syllable in use, to extend beyond seven. The reason why the words 'strange' and strength' can not be made longer without more than ordinary effort, is this: -The tonic elements can not be added for this purpose, since each of them always makes either the whole or part of a separate syllable. Nor will these words bear a subtonic at the beginning for as 's' is an atonic, any subtonic uttered before it must come to a pause, must therefore go through its vanish, and thus produce a separate syllable. An atonic being prefixed to these words would not indeed make a new concrete; but it would produce a varying effort of hissing and aspiration, which would bear no analogy to the audible and gliding nature of tonic and subtonic syllabication. In answer then to the question,-why syllables are not continued to the utmost length of an act of expiration, it has been shown that as speech employs all the elements, the abrupt and atonic must necessarily divide the time of one expiration, into different syllabic impulses. In any number of elementary sounds, let us now suppose the atonic and abrupt to be rejected, and consequently the last mentioned cause of limitation to be removed. Why is it impossible in this case to give indefinite length to a syllable, formed by the union of a tonic with any number of subtonics? -Or, why is such a syllable otherwise limited, than by the exhaustion of expiration? When a tonic precedes a subtonic, in the formation of any concrete interval, it gives up a portion of its movement to that subtonic, which then carries on and completes the vanish. In this way the radical and vanish may consist of a tonic and one, two, three, or at most four subtonics. But the number can not, in easy pronunciation, be extended beyond these. Thus in the syllable 'strandzh' (strange) the concrete rise begins on 'a,' and continuing through 'n,' 'd' and 'zh,' vanishes on this last. If two more subtonics 'v' and 'm' were subjoined to this word, as in 'strandzhvm,' few speakers could make one pure syllabic impulse of the combination. The reason of this difficulty, or as we may call it, impossibility, will appear in the following remarks. In the most general use of the voice, the concrete rises through the interval of a tone, and employs therein a certain portion of time. Now though the tone and time may be executed on one tonic combined with several subtonics; yet there is a maximum to the number, utterable by an easy effort of speech. For as each constituent must have a certain duration, to render it cognizable as a variation of pitch, and to ensure a distinct pronunciation, it must consume a portion of the time of the concrete and it is plain from experience that each constituent does consume so much, that not more than four subtonics, together with the preceding tonic, can in easy utterance be compressed into the time and space of the radical and vanish. In describing the concrete, we pointed out three modes of this function,-its equable progress, and the prolongation of its radical, and of its vanish. When a combination of tonics and subtonics, greater than can be used for one concrete, is offered for pronunciation, one of two things must occur: either two syllables must be formed by two separate concretes, or some one or more of the numerous constituents must be prolonged on one line of pitch. And though this last mode of utterance would not necessarily produce two syllables, yet by assuming the characteristic note of song, it would be very different from the equable effect of the true syllabic concrete. I have thus endeavoured to show why, in ordinary speech, syllables can not be indefinitely extended when they consist only of tonic and subtonic sounds, and consequently when there is no obstruction to their continuation, by the interposition of abrupt and atonic elements. A further consideration of the radical and vanishing movement, will inform us why there is, ordinarily, but one effort of accentual stress on each syllable. I will show hereafter that there are six modes in which the force called Accent can be laid on the concrete. First, by the abrupt explosion of the radical. Secondly, by giving more force to the middle of the concrete. Thirdly, by greater stress on the vanishing portion. Fourthly, by making the whole concrete of the same fulness. that naturally belongs to the radical. Fifthly, by magnifying, so to speak, the whole of the concrete; the proportional forces of the radical and vanish remaining unaltered. Sixthly, by an abrupt stress on the radical, together with increased force on the vanish of the same concrete. The first five of these modes do not alter the singleness of the accentual impression. Something like an exception to the rule of a single accent, seems to exist in the sixth, as will be particularly noticed under the future head of Expression :-but this condition, if an exception at all, is not of common occurrence, and is by no means contemplated here, in looking at the ordinary phenomena of syllabic speech. From what has been said upon the construction of syllables, the reader will no doubt perceive the causes of their difference in degree, as regards agreeableness of sound, and the gliding continuity of voice. The most eminent on these points are those formed by a single tonic : and although the concrete rise of a diphthong consists of two dissimilar sounds, it is not inferior, in the above named qualities, to the uniform voice of a monothong. The next condition of the syllable is that formed by an initial tonic, followed by one or two subtonics, as: 'aim,' 'ale,' 'arm,' 'earn,' 'elm,' 'orle.' These have an easy mingling of their constituents; and their tonic commencement allows an equable concrete movement from the opening to the close of the syllable. The equable progress is, to a certain degree, impaired in that order of syllables, in which the first sound is a subtonic, as in mains,' 'gale,' warms,'zearn,' 'realm.' Now since the radical in these cases does not properly begin on the first element, there is a slight Note or level line of pitch on the subtonic which precedes the tonic. The next of the syllabic combinations are those which contain each of the three kinds of elements, as swarms,' 'strength,' 'thrown,' 'smiles.' Here the atonic sounds are not agreeable. They prevent the equability of the concrete movement; and though they do not destroy the singleness of impulse, they are attended with some hiatus from the changes of position in the organs which produce them. A few syllables, such as the last of 'little,' are made of subtonics and atonics, without the addition of a tonic. They are destitute of force and fulness in the radical opening. They have the nasal kind of vocality, which belongs to the subtonics: and it is most remarkable in these syllables, because here it is not covered by the clear laryngeal sound of the tonics. There are various degrees in the smoothness of the syllabic impulse, from the clear transition of the diphthongal tonics 'a' and 'awe,' to the two concretes of a dissyllable. The words 'flower,' 'higher,' 'boy,' 'voice,' and 'coin,' by a slight variation in effort, may each be uttered either as one or as two syllables. Under the first condition, they seem severally to consist of the union of two tonics in one syllable, which I have said is impossible. If flower' is pronounced with the glide of a single impulse, it must be upon the elements, f, l, ou, and r, and this exhibits no inconsistency with our proposed doctrine of syllables. If the tonic e-rr be sounded before r, it will be impossible to avoid the double impulse. I have considered a syllable as essentially a function of the radical and vanish; and this function is equally productive of the syllabic impulse, in a downward as in an upward direction. I shall show in a future section, when the reader is prepared to understand the explanation, that the unity of the syllable is not destroyed by a movement of the voice, through a continuity of the upward and downward concrete. The preceding history enables us to explain many causes which must remain hidden to a less searching analysis. Upon our principles of syllabication we may account for the disagreeable effect, produced both in the organs of utterance and on the ear by the use of the indefinite article 'a' before a vowel (or tonic,) and by other similar successions as in aorta.' K If we utter the tonics in series, we may in a certain manner pass from one to the other without a break, and without the point of junction being appreciable. In this case, the elements are joined to each other by the mediation of the subtonic 'y-e.' But in this continuous mode of utterance, there is an absence of that fulness and abruptness which forms, in its proper place, the character of the tonic radical; since abruptness always requires a previous occlusion of the voice. When a continuation of vocality is made from a subtonic to a tonic, the effect is dif ferent: for the subtonics having more or less occlusion, and a vocule more or less distinct, means are afforded, by this occlusion and by the outset of this vocule, for the formation of the abrupt sound of the tonic; and consequently a true radical may be made on a tonic which is continuous with a preceding subtonic. Now when the article 'a' is made to coalesce with a tonic at the beginning of a word, an unpleasant perception arises from a want of the radical fulness in that initial tonic. If, however, the article is pronounced separately, in order that the initial tonic may have its full radical opening after the pause, the unpleasant effect will be avoided, though the pronunciation will be necessarily slower. In this way, 'a,—owl' and 'a,-age' are as unexceptionable, as an owl' and 'an age'. The junction of the 'n' with a tonic (and the same is true of all the subtonics) produces an agreeable coalescence, from the slight occlusion between them: whilst the union of the vanish of one tonic with the radical of another, creates a disagreeable effort in the organs, and produces an unpleasant impression on the ear. This hiatus, as it is termed, is caused by a deficiency in the fulness of the radical; by an endeavour to supply this deficiency and yet at the same time to pass quickly from tonic to tonic; and by the disappointment of the ear, in not receiving the impression of the element, as it is heard in the same word on other occasions. We can not then in a continuous course of tonic utterance, produce that desirable radical abruptness, which is easily accomplished when the tonics are pronounced with a pause between them, or after those slight natural pauses or occlusions which belong to the subtonics. The hiatus accompanying the junction of one tonic with another, will be less remarkable when the last receives no accentual stress. Thus it is less in 'a account' than in 'a acci |