82. Whenever two or more sounds are combined in a syllable, one of them
excels in acoustic prominence: as, _a_ in English _pat_; _n_ in the
group _pnd_ in _opnd_ (_opened_); _l_ in the group _tld_ in _bottld_
(_bottled_); and _s_ in the group _pst_. This sound is said to have
_syllabic function_ or to be _syllabic_; in the examples given, _a_,
_n_, _l_, and _s_ are respectively syllabic. All the other members of
each group are termed _unsyllabic_.
83. Vowels are almost always used in syllabic function. When, in rare
cases, they are unsyllabic, this fact is usually indicated in phonetic
works by an inverted half-circle, ̭, placed under the vowel; so in the
case of diphthongs to indicate the subordinate member: as #ai̭#, #oḙ#,
#ṷi# (49). Latin #omnia# and English _glorious_, when pronounced as
words of two syllables, would be written #omni̭a# (2503), _glori̭ous_.
When sounds other than vowels have, in rare cases, syllabic function,
this fact is noted in phonetic works by a point, . , or circle, ˳ ,
under the letter: as, Latin #*agṛs#, #*agr̥s# (111, _b_), English
_opṇd_, _opn̥d_.