The English H has been variously classified, and still more variously
and vaguely defined. Some phonologists have discovered in it the
properties of a vowel; most have agreed to regard it as a consonant.
Webster declared it to be “not strictly a vowel nor an articulation, but
a letter _sui generis_”—a negative classification that may be accepted
to-day. The letter has been termed the symbol of a guttural breathing,
an evanescent breathing, a mere breathing, a strong breathing, a
whisper, and “a propulsed aspiration” (_B. H. Smart_); and some affirm
it to be “no sound at all.”
The English H represents an action rather than a sound. When the action
indicated accompanies the utterance of a vowel, a change is produced in
the vowel-sound; hence, Bishop Wilkins (1668) called the H a “guttural
vowel”—not, however, a particularly happy definition.
In stating H to be “a letter _sui generis_,” Webster enounced a truth
that many have seemed inclined to overlook. Consonants are distinct
sounds that precede or follow other consonants and vowels; but the
Aspirate becomes part of any vowel it accompanies. This may be otherwise
expressed by saying, that in aspirating we emit a noiseless current of
unvocalised breath that gradually vocalises itself into an aspirated
vowel. The truth of the assertion may be tested by pronouncing an
aspirated vowel, _e.g._, “=ha=,” and observing that no change in
position of the vocal organs occurs during the act. In uttering a
syllable consisting of a consonant and a vowel, a change of position is
requisite to the formation of each constituent element—for example, in
the case of “=fa=.” Thus then, the H in well-spoken English does not
represent a distinct and independent sound; but prescribes a breathing
that modifies the vowel it accompanies. It is A SIGNAL TO ASPIRATE THE
SUCCEEDING VOWEL.
This oneness of the vowel and its H is productive of a change in the
natures of both. The _a_ in “h_a_ll” is as different from that in
“_a_ll,” as is the Aspirate of “_h_all” from that of “_h_eel.” It
follows, therefore, that these Aspirates are equal in number to the
vowel-sounds (said to be about seventeen), and that the letter H
represents them all. For convenience sake, one speaks of “the sound of
an H,” “to pronounce, or aspirate an H,” and “to drop an H;” meaning
respectively, _the sound of an aspirated vowel_, _to aspirate_, and _to
omit to aspirate a vowel with an H before it_.
As already submitted, most H’s may, now-a-days, be said to be
_soundless_, although not “Silent H’s;” the latter might with more
propriety be termed functionless letters. To soundless H’s one exception
distinctly occurs in English; to wit, the H that precedes the long _ū_,
as in _hue_, _huge_, _humor_, &c. This H—a phonetic link between the
ancient English H’s and the modern Aspirate—has a sound of its own, and
may be heard. Elevating the base of the tongue so as to leave a narrow
aperture between its centre and the palate, we emit, with vocalized
breath, the sound _y_ heard in _yew_; with breath that is _not_
vocalized we produce the subdued, palatal grating sound constituting the
H of _hue_. Hence, HŪ represents a vowel _preceded by an audible_ H, and
not a vowel-sound that is aspirated. The Arabic ﺡ corresponds to the H
of HŪ.
Other kinds and degrees of H are enumerated by Mr Ellis, who gives a
list of six. They vary in power from that of the scarcely audible
aspiration that the Cockney introduces into “park” (paahk), to that of
the jerked breath that _h‘_ represents in _bah‘_. The breathings of the
different H’s vary also in degree of intensity according to the nature
and strength of their vowels; being most pronounced in the case of long
and open vowels,—compare “_h_ard” and “_h_it.”
Some writers have described aspirated vowels as being whispered vowels.
The error of this description is obvious to the most superficial
observer; it would mean that aspirated vowels are unvocalized. A man,
moreover, need not drop his H’s though he holloa through a speaking
trumpet.
=Vocalized breath= is that which carries with it a sound produced by
vibrations of the vocal chords. These are situate in the larynx, and
may be felt vibrating, by placing the hand on the throat while they
are in action. “Krantzenstein and Kempelen have pointed out that the
conditions necessary for changing one and the same sound into
different vowels, are difference in the size of two parts—the oral
canal and the oral opening,” (_vide_ Kirkes’ Physiology). Some
consonants are produced by this kind of breath, but with the
concurrence also of certain movements of the lips, tongue, &c., and
they are called _sonants_ or _voiced consonants_: Ex.—_l_, _n_, _r_,
&c.
=Unvocalized breath= is that employed in whispering. With the
assistance of certain movements of the speech-organs, unvocalized
breath produces in ordinary speech a class of consonants that are
called _surds_ or _breathed consonants_: Ex.—_f_, _s_, _t_, &c.
NOTE.—_T_ is of the class called _momentary_ or _explosive_
consonants. They need the help of a vowel, or of a voiced consonant,
in order to express themselves fully. This circumstance, together with
the fact of vocalised breath entering into the formation of many
consonants, will probably account for the common notion that _no_
consonant can be uttered without a _vowel_ accompaniment. The
independence of the sibilant _s_, offers alone a sufficient refutation
of the assumption. It is in Polynesia that savages are found who
cannot put two consonants together without a vowel between them.
Æsthetically considered, the modern English H is an important
embellishment, and adds immensely to the strength and pleasing effect of
speech. The Aspirate can render certain discordant sounds of our
language half euphonious, breathing gently on a hard vowel, deepening
its tone and swelling its volume. As an instance, take the pronoun _I_
and the adjective _high_; and notice that the vowel-sound in the latter
is by far the more pleasing, approaching almost that of the soft _ai_ of
the Italian. In oratory, a preponderance of aitch’d words in a passage
allows of great energy of utterance without risk of it degenerating into
an affected or bombastic tirade of “big-sounding” words.
H is an earnest letter. It is a noteworthy coincidence that a large
portion of those words associated with strong and violent actions and
emotions have the Aspirate: _hew_, _heave_, _hate_, _abhor_, &c.,
together with the ejaculations, _Ho!_ _Ha!_ _Hollo!_ _Harrah!_ _Hang
it!_ (an exclamation used by Geo. Wither, born A.D. 1588), &c., are
examples. In Elocution, the Aspirate lends itself to the expressing of
propinquity, bringing the scene and the sound of the action within a
more proximate compass. The union of H with most consonants results in
the production of smooth sounds. The euphonic “sweetnesses” of Mr
Swinburne’s richly mellifluent verse, will be found, on analysis, to
depend greatly on the two powers of TH and those of other digraphs of H.
Writers on the subject of Natural Significance, or Specific Import of
Articulate Sounds, who have mostly been adherents to the Epicurean or
_Pooh-Pooh_ theory, have in some instances limited the primary emotional
significance of an Aspirate H to the denoting of a desire or craving. It
may reasonably be asked, whether they have not identified a part with
the whole, and whether every awakening of intense feeling does not find
its natural expression in an aspirated vowel.
The manner in which the H is used by our best writers, shows they
appreciated its vigour and stress-giving properties. In Shakespeare, the
H is most frequent in salient passages and epigrams. It plays a
conspicuous part in the grand, deep anthem-eloquence of Dryden’s
full-toned lines; and in the verses of Byron and other strong writers
its powers are judiciously applied. A recognition of the honest vigour
of aspirated words is conspicuous in an aphæresis perpetrated for
histrionic purposes by Mr Henry Irving, who has informed the writer that
he sometimes drops the H in “humbleness—”
“as in Shylock’s speech to Antonio:[6]
‘Shall I bend low, and in a bondsman’s key,
With ’bated breath and whisp’ring (h)umbleness,
Say this....’
where the idea is much better expressed by the omission of the
Aspirate.”
There are persons to whom the simple act of aspirating, will never have
suggested the idea of difficulty; but there are many others (who in
their ordinary speech, put H before half the vowels that do not require
it) who are totally at a loss when asked to aspirate a given vowel. They
either aspirate unconsciously or not at all. If the reader has never
attempted to reform a persistent H-dropper, by teaching him the value
and nature of the Aspirate, he can form no adequate idea of the extreme
difficulty of the task. Some people can learn everything but H’s.
“_Speak as though you were breathing on glass_,” is a practical precept
often laid down for the benefit of young children; and is one deserving
of the consideration of many of their elders; for, as a matter of fact,
in pronouncing the words _hay_, _he_, _high_, _hoe_, before a mirror,
one will observe that four successive breath-marks are thrown on the
cold surface of the glass; whereas none will be seen if one drop the
H’s. In pronouncing the H of HŪ, the markings are scarcely discernable
or altogether absent; the breath-stream having become diverted and
attenuated by friction against the palate. In Aspirating _ha!_ the
breath-marks are very distinct; but still more so in the case of the
jerked terminal _h‘_ of a quick, contemptuous _bah‘!_
The above experiment is valuable as affording an insight into the
phonation of the modern English Aspirate, and as a means by which the
new convert from the H-dropping heresy may learn to avoid the opposite
error of excessive zeal in the production of his H’s. It is noticeable
that the early aspirative labours of a converted H-dropper give birth to
monstrosities. He pronounces _hand_, _heart_, &c., as though the vowels
were _preceded_ by the _ch_ of lo_ch_. This is a reversion to a former
type of H’s, but not the developed modern Aspirate. The physiological
difference in the formation of aspirated and non-aspirated vowel-sounds
appears to be, that, in aspirating, the oral passage is rendered more
cavernous, and a greater volume of breath is emitted. This may be partly
verified by uttering the Italian _ā_ before the mirror. When the same
vowel is aspirated (_ha_), the soft palate is seen to be slightly
raised, while the tongue is depressed and slightly retracted, thereby
causing an enlargement of the cavity through which the sound passes.
The H, in some positions, is not easily managed. In colloquial speech it
is frequently left out of little words that are of minor importance to
the sense. In a homely rendering of, “You saw how high (h)e held (h)is
head,” the occluded h’s would be nearly lost. Such a pronunciation,
though not one to be highly commended, finds its excuse in convenience,
and can claim some degree of extenuation in a very antique origin, and
of justification in extensive usage.
In the case of short, unaccented syllables of a metrical composition, as
in the following instance,
“But Marmion said that ever near,
A lady’s voice was in _h_is ear,
And that the priest _h_e could not _h_ear.”...
and in this couplet—
_H_e _h_eeds it not; ’mid eddied _h_eaving foam
_H_e _h_ears the echoes of _h_is island _h_ome,
difficulties are presented in the way of a regard for H’s and for metre.
Under all circumstances, to stop and stutter is inelegant, to repeat a
word for the sake of giving it its dropped H, has a ludicrous effect;
and to attempt by a powerful effort to aspirate some particular vowel,
will often result in a promiscuous scattering of H’s. The only advice to
the novice is: select difficult passages,[7] and practice them
repeatedly—speak slowly and carefully. One must endeavour to aspirate
with ease, letting the result be light, not forced, though distinct to
the ear. Each person should use discretion, and suit the degree of
aspiration to the power of his voice. The degree suitable to some
persons would require an effort on the part of others to imitate. The
great thing necessary is once thoroughly to understand the nature of the
process, and then to remember where to apply it. The performance will
gradually become a result of reflex action and be gone through correctly
but unconsciously.
H-dropping must be overcome, and the misuse of H avoided; the world is
intolerant of dissent from customs established; and orthoepy, or correct
pronunciation, is a cardinal virtue, although, in common with most other
of the “orthos,” it is endowed with chameleon-like faculties of change.