_Expounding the Nature of the_ Letters, _and the manner how they are
formed_.
Hitherto we have treated concerning the _Voice_ and _Breath_, and of
the manner of the formation of both of them, in general; now let us
see how the said _Voice_ and _Breath_ are, as a fit Matter for them,
framed into such or such _Letters_; for the _Voice_ and _Breath_ are
alone the material part of _Letters_, but the form of them is to be
sought out from the various Configurations of those hollow Channels,
thorough which they pass; _Letters_ therefore, not as they be certain
Characters, but as they are Pronounced or Spoken, are the _Voice_ and
_Breath_, diversly Figured by the Instruments ordained for the Speech.
But here we must be pre-admonished concerning the _Letters_; that
there is a great Latitude almost amongst them all, and that one and
the same Character is not pronounced by one and the same Configuration
of the Mouth, yea, in one and the same Language; thus [_a_] and [_e_]
sometimes are sounded open, and sometimes close; also [_o_] hath its
own Latitude, so as many other Letters also may have; yea, as many as
are the divers Modes, by which the _Voice_ and _Breath_ can be
Figured, by the Organs of Speech; but the most easie, only, and the
most Conspicuous are received by all Nations, whose number never
almost exceedeth Twenty four, and have certain Characters annexed to
them: But seeing that these Characters are not every where pronounced
alike, yea, one and the same Letter sometimes is variously sounded by
one and the same People, therefore I have made choice of the _German
Letters_, which are of my Mother-Tongue, and the most _Simple_ of all
Letters, to be examined in this place: in as much as they are for the
most part sounded every where alike, their _Vowels_ are very _Simple_,
and agreeable to the nature of the thing, the _Diphthongs_ compounded
of them, do retain the Nature of their compounding _Vowels_, because
they are always heard pronounced in them, otherwise, than as it is in
most other Languages, which they stile living ones; for sometimes they
make their _Diphthongs_ out of the most _Simple Vowels_, as are [_au_]
[_ou_] [_ai_] amongst the _French_, and [_oe_] and [_eu_] amongst the
_Dutch_, or else they have such improper _Diphthongs_, that scarce
either of their compounding _Vowels_ can be heard, such are [_oi_] of
the _French_, and [_uy_] of the _Dutch_, not to mention more Examples,
or else they are variously sounded according to their various
Placings, so as if I were to teach some Deaf _French-man_, I would
from the beginning teach him, not the _French_, but the _German
Letters_, or else he would be plainly confounded. Nor is the state of
the _Consonants_ in better case for the Pronunciation of some of them,
is so very different, that there are scarce two Nations, which
pronounce the Character [_g_] after the same manner.
But in the _German_ Alphabet, that which most disliketh me, is, their
Order; which, in good truth, is none; because scarce two Letters of
the same rank do follow mutually after one another, which would render
the information of Deaf Persons to be so much the more difficult;
wherefore I have reduced them into this following order, which seemed
to me to be the most natural.
_a. e. i. j. y. o. u. ä. ö.
ü. m. n. ng. l. r. h. g. ch. s.
f. v. k. c. q. d. t. b. p.
x. z._
To those who observe well, it will from this order alone, appear, that
I have divided this whole Alphabet into _Vowels_, _Semi-vowels_, and
_Consonants_. The _Vowels_ are a _Voice_ or _Sound_ modified by a
various opening of the Mouth only, and are either _Simple_, or
Uniform, as _a. e. i. j. y. o. u. w._ Or else they are mixt, which out
of two, do so melt down into one, as that they are pronounced
together, and are different from _Diphthongs_, in as much as their
_Vowels_ are successively pronounced: Now these mixt _Vowels_, are ä.
ö. ü. which some Nations either have not at all, or else do write them
evilly; but of the manner of Formation, more shall be said hereafter.
The _Semi-vowels_ are a middle sort between the _Genuine Voice_, and a
_Simple Breath_, and may at pleasure be brought forth in the manner as
_Vowels_ are; and they are either of the _Nose_, or _Nasall_ such are
_m. n. ng._ or else they be of the _Mouth_, or _Orall_, as _l. r._
_Consonants_ are a _Simple Breath_, not sonorous, yet
variously modified, and are of three kinds:
For they are either pronounced successively, and may be produced at
pleasure, as _g. ch. s. f. v._
Or are suddainly _shot forth_; which upon that score I call them
_explosive_, as _k. c. q. t. d. b. p._
Or else being _Compounded_ out of two foregoing ones, their number is
diverse in divers Nations; the _Germans_ have two; _viz._ _x._ and
_z._
To this Division, in which I have had respect chiefly to the nature,
and manner of pronouncing the _Letters_, may not impertinently be
added, that those _Letters_ are formed mostly in three _Regions of the
Mouth_, _viz._ in the bottom, or _Throat_; in the middle, or in the
_Palate_ and _Teeth_; and lastly, in the utmost part thereof, or in
the _Lips_: Hence it is, from every one of their Classes almost, are
three sorts; one _Guttural_, another _Dental_, and a third _Labial_;
but of these, more hereafter.
I will here prevent the _Readers_ who may object to me in the
following Chapter, that this my Doctrin will be always lame, because
all Deaf Persons, whom we would teach by the Tongue, Lips, _&c._ will
never by their Sight attain unto these motions: But, besides that the
Sight doth not give place to the Hearing, as to a quick sensibility, I
affirm, that there is no need thereof, if once they have made but any
Progress; for even we our selves do very often not hear in
Pronunciation those Letters which I call _Consonants_, but we collect
them from the _Vowels_ and _Semi-vowels_, commixed together with them:
No Man, for Example, shall so pronounce _b. g._ or _d._ as that he may
be heard at a hundred Paces distant. And this seems to me to be the
principal reason why we can most rarely pronounce or repeat at the
first blush, any word spoken in a foreign Language.
But before I shall unfold the nature, and manner of forming the
_Letters_ in special, I judged that it was not here to be omitted, how
that as all the _Letters_, yea also, and the _Vowels_ them-selves,
cannot by any means be pronounced, as they are a _Simple Breath_, and
not sonorous; for when we, for Example, do whisper somewhat to one in
his Ear, so the _Consonants_ also, excepting those which I call
_Explosive_, may be pronounced vocally, or with the _Voice_ conjoyned;
and there are Nations which pronounce thus, as the _French_ do their
_z._ and their _v._
I shall now treat of the _Letters_ especially, and will examine them
so, as both the absolute Simplicity of the _German Letters_ may be
manifested; and other Nations, from their Mode of Formation, may
learn, how they ought to pronounce them; upon this account also, I
shall add how improperly some Nations do render the same Letters in
their own Language. Now in this Explication I shall observe the same
order as I did in the Division of them, where readily it will appear,
that _Voice_ and _Breath_ are according to a triple Region of the
Mouth, triply figured or formed spontaneously.
Therefore the Simple and Uniform _Vowels_ are, _a._ _e._ _i._ _j._
_y._ _o._ _u._ _w._ and are formed after the following manner.
_a._ is a _Gutteral Vowel_, and the most Simple of all; the Key of the
_Alphabet_, and therefore is by all Nations set first of all,
excepting only (as far as I know) the _Abyssines_, by whom, as Ludolf
testifieth, it is placed as the Thirteenth _Letter_. True indeed it
may be pronounced by various Placings of the _Tongue_, yet the common,
and most convenient is, that the _Tongue_ should be in its posture of
rest; and then being gently stretched forth in the _Mouth_, it may
only lightly, or not at all touch upon the utmost Border of the lower
_Teeth_; if therefore the lower _Jaw_ be drawn downwards, and thereby
the _Mouth_ be opened, that the _Voice_ formed in the _Throat_,
strikes not neither against the _Teeth_, nor against the _Lips_, than
a plain open [_a_] is heard, _e. i. j. y._ are _Dental Vowels_, or the
_Voice_, which in coming forth, smites more or less against the
_Teeth_; Hence it is that Infants, although they can say _Pappa, bo,
&c._ yet can they not pronounce these Letters until they have Teeth,
especially _the Cutters_, or _fore-Teeth_; and indeed [_e_] is
formed, when the _Voice_, (the _Lips_ being gently opened), strikes
against the _Teeth_ also moderately opened; now the
posture of the _Tongue_ is such, that it somewhat presses on each side
upon the _Dog-Teeth_ of the Inferior _Jaw_, for so the passage of the
_Voice_ is made narrower, and the [_e_] much more clear.
_i. j._ and _y._ are the same _Vowel_, pronounced one while more
short, and another more long, nor doth it stand upon any Foundation,
[_i_] sometimes doth become a _Consonant_, but then is pronounced only
more swiftly, so as together with the following _Vowel_, it can make a
_Diphthong_; but [_i_] is formed after the same manner almost,
as [_e_] except that the _Teeth_ are for the most part, more stricken,
and the _Tongue_ put close to the _Teeth_, the passage of the _Voice_
is rendred more strait, whence a more smart Sound also breaks forth,
which notwithstanding, can sometimes be hardly distinguished from
[_e_] [_y_,] also is [_i_] pronounced longer then usually, or [_i_]
doubled. _o. u. w._ are _Labial Vowels_, that is, such as are formed
by a different positure of the _Lips_; also [_o._] and [_u._] are
different from one another, just as much as [_e._] and [_i_]: But
[_w._] is to [_u._] just as _j._ is to [_i._] for indeed _a. u. w._
are formed, when the _Teeth_ and _Tongue_ keep the same posture; but
the _Lips_ are more or less contracted, even as the _Teeth_ are in
[_e._] and [_i._] and so when they are less stricken, [_o._] is
produced, but when a little more [_u._] or [_w._]; but we ought
carefully to beware, whilst [_o._] or [_u._] are pronounced, least the
_Teeth_ should be seen; for else a certain kind of a soft _e._ will be
mingled; and instead of _ö._ or _ü._ there will be produced _o._ or
_u._ These Letters belong to the _French_, _au_ and _ou_, when
nevertheless they are nothing else but _Diphthongs_, also _oe._ of the
_Dutch_ is our _u._ but very improperly.
Mixt _Vowels_ are _ä. ö. ü._ These Characters are peculiar to our
Language, and were invented very ingeniously by our Ancients, though
our Moderns mostly know not the reason thereof. Each hath its simple
Character, because the Sound which they signifie, is only one, tho'
mixt; for _a._ _o._ and _u._ are so pronounced, that the passage of
the _Voice_, the _Tongue_ and _Teeth_ being conjoyned for to
pronounce, _e._ becomes Straiter, and so _e._ together with the said
Letters, _a._ _o._ _u._ doth constitute but one only, yet a _mixt
vowel_. The _French_ utter them by _ai._ _eu._ and _u._ and in good
truth, badly enough, as any one may see. The _Dutch_ want _[ä]._
_[ö]._ and express them by _eu._ but _[ü]._ by _u._ in no better a way
than the _French_.
Concerning the _Diphthongs_ composed out of these _Vowels_, and which
may be thence compounded, I judge it needless to say much; for they
are nothing else in our Language than a more then usual swift
Pronunciation of the Component _Vowels_, yet successive; and thus they
differ from the _mixt Vowels_, but how improper and absurd
_Diphthongs_ some Nations have, any one may easily gather from what
hath been already said.
The other sort of Letters are _Semi-Vowels_, which are therefore so
called, because that they be formed indeed out of a _Sounding Breath_
or _Voice_, but such as in its progress is much broken. They are, as I
said, either _Nasalls_, or such as are pronounced through that open
passage, by which the _Nose_ opens into the Hollow of the _Mouth_: Now
the _Voice_ is forced to go that way, either when it flows to the
_Lips_ shut close, and rebounding from thence, is formed into [_m_;]
or when the _Tip of the Tongue_ is so applied to the roof of the
Mouth, and to the upper _Teeth_, the _Voice_ is made to rebound
through the _Nostrils_, and so [_n_] becomes formed; or lastly, when
together with the hinder part of the _Tongue_, the _Voice_ being
applied to the _Roof_, is so straitned that there is no Egress left
open for it, but through the _Nose_, and so [_n_] is formed; which is
a Sound, which hath no peculiar Character in any Language, as I know
of, yet it differs no less from the rest of the _Nasals_, (_k_) is
divers from (_t_) or (_p_,) if any one desires to try this by himself,
let him endeavour to pronounce; having his _Nose_ held close with his
Fingers, one of these three Letters, and he will not be able to do it.
Or else these _Semivowels_ are _Orall_, which are indeed such as are
pronounced thro' the _Mouth_, but not so freely as are the _Genuin
Vowels_, and they be two, (_l_) and (_r;_) (_l_) is formed when the
_Tongue_ is so applied to the _Roof_, and the upper _Teeth_, that the
_Voice_ cannot, but by a small Thred, as it were, get forth by the
Sides of the _Tongue_; for if you compress the _Cheeks_ to the
_Grinders_, you stop up the Passage of the _Voice_, and it will be
very difficult for you to pronounce this _Letter_, (_r_,) is a _Voice_
fluctuating with great swiftness, and is formed, when the more movable
part of the _Tongue_ does in the twinkling of an Eye, oftentimes
strike upon the _Roof of the Mouth_, and as often is drawn back again
from it; for thus the _Voice_ formed in the _Throat_, in its
pronouncing, flows and ebbs back again, and is uttered, as it were by
_Leaps_. Hence it is, that they, whose _Tongues_ be too heavy and
moist, and less voluble, will never pronounce this Letter, whether
they can Hear, or are Deaf.
Now there still remains the _Consonants_, or the Letters, which are
formed out of an unsounding or mute _Breath_; yet, out of which, some
of the _Semi-vowels_ may be made, as _g. ch. s. f. v._
As the _Voice_ is the common matter of the _Consonants_, the sharper
part of which is (_h_) which is the most simple of them all, and out
of which diversly figurated, the rest of them are framed: And they are
either the _Sibilants_, which are formed out of _Breath_, which is
somewhat compressed or straitned, that the passing _Breath_ breaks
forth with a certain kind of _Hissing_, and with violence.
Here _I_ judge that we are not to pass over in silence, how that there
are some parts in _Germany_, where there is so much of Affinity of
(_g_) with (_k_,) as (_b_) has with (_p_) and (_d_) with (_t_,) or
where (_g_) is pronounced like (_k_) but softer, so also the _French_
do pronounce their (_g_) before _a. o. u._ and _ou._
(_s_) is formed, when the _Teeth_ and _Tongue_ are so clapt together,
that the _Breath_ cannot come forth, but by the _Spaces of the Teeth_:
But (_f_) or (_v_) (which differs not from (_f_) in our Language) is
formed, when the _neather Lip_ is so moved to the _Teeth_ above, that
the _Breath_ must break out thro' the said _Spaces of the Teeth_;
_ph._ is (_f_) being a Stranger in the _German_ Tongue, and differs
from it only in the _Character_.
The other kind of _Consonants_ are explosive; which, _viz._ are
discharged at one push, and as it were, in the twinkling of an Eye and
are nothing else but _Breath_, which being got close together, either
in the fore, middle, or hinder Region of the Mouth, is discharged on a
suddain; and (_k_) is indeed formed in the hinder Region, when the
hinder part of the _Tongue_ is moved to the _Roof_, that the _Breath_
cannot break forth, neither by the _Mouth_, nor by the _Nose_, but is
suddenly let loose again: For thus the imprisoned _Breath_ breaks out,
and by breaking out, maketh _k. c._ or _q._ which in _Germany_ are all
the same Letter; in the middle Region are _d._ and t. formed, when,
_viz._ the _Breath_, by help of the Tongues being moved to the
_Teeth_, or _Roof_, and suddainly drawn back again, being more or less
compressed, rusheth out by its own Springiness, and so _d._ or _t._ is
made, which only differs, as _b._ and _p._ according to the more or
less; in the outermost Region of the _Mouth_ are formed, (_b_) and
(_p_) when, _viz._ the _Breath_ being compressed in the whole _Cavity
of the Mouth_, they get out through the _Lips_ opened.
Lastly; here follows those _Consonants_, which are compounded of
_Hissing and Explosion_, such are (_x_) or _ks._ and (_z_) or _ts._
which only are the alone anomalous or irregular ones of the _German_
Language; for if I may speak what I think; we might well enough want
these _Characters_; yet I disapprove not of the use of them, but only
shew what might be more convenient, _viz._ that _Voice_ or _Breath_
which is simple, might be expressed also by a simple _Character_, and
on the contrary, that a _Character_, which is simple and only one,
would signifie but one only _Voice_ or _Breath:_ But if the commodious
use of _Short-hand_ may be objected, I would perswade to express all
possible Combinations, of _Vowels_, with _Semi-vowels_, and
_Consonants_, by simple _Characters_.
This is what I determined to say concerning the Letters, and their
Formation; and seeing I am not willing to write a _Grammar_, what
might yet further be said of them, I pass by; but what I have
performed, I leave it to others to judge thereof, not so much to teach
them, as by what is here presented to excite them, being desirous, as
it becomes a young Man, to learn of them: I hope they will pardon my
Errors, because of my Youth. Yet certain I am, had the ancient
_Hebrews_, _Greeks_ and _Romans_, thus describ'd their Letters, there
would have been no contention about the manner of Pronounciation.