writers of the present century than the later ones. Indeed, what is called the age of Queen Elizabeth comprizes the reign of James the First, and part of that of Charles the First. This is the age of Shakspeare and his cotemporary dramatists. It is also the time when the present translation of the Bible was made. The extent to which the English of the time in question is marked by peculiar indications of antiquity is generally known; so that the present general sketch of the history of the English language ends with the death of James the First.

QUESTIONS.

What is the meaning of Scotch and Irish Gaelic, and of Manks ? In what parts of Great Britain is English not spoken exclusively? In what parts of the world, besides Great Britain, is English spoken? In what parts of England was English last introduced ? In what parts first? From what country was it introduced? By what tribes ? When? Where did the Jutes, Saxons, and Angles particularly settle respectively? What is the origin of the term Anglo-Saxon? What is the relation of the AngloSaxon to the English? What were the chief compositions in Anglo-Saxon? What is the meaning of Anglo-Norman, and Norman French? What was the effect of the Battle of Hastings upon the English Language? When was it fought? What is the meaning of Semi-Saxon, Old English, Middle English, and Modern English?

PART II.

SOUNDS, LETTERS, ACCENT, SPELLING, ETC.

§ 20. THE uncompounded sounds of the English language are thirty-four; to which may be added six compound ones, making, in all, forty elementary sounds.

§ 21. The elementary sounds of the English language are as follows:

1. The sound of the letter a, in father.

17. The sound of the letter f in fane.

§ 22. The real sound of the ch in chest, is that of

tsh, or nearly so. Thus:

Church might be spelt tshurtsh.

§ 23. The real sound of the j in jest is that of

dzh, or nearly so. Thus

Join might be spelt dzhoin.

§ 24. The signs, or figures, used in writing, to express the sounds of the English language are called Letters.

§ 25. The letters of the English language are twenty-six in number, their form, order, and names. being as follows:

§ 26. The English letters were originally reckoned at twenty-four, "because, anciently, i and j, as well as u and v, were expressed by the same character."

§ 27. The sounds denoted by the letters a, e, i, o, and u, are called vowel sounds, or, more simply, vowels.

§ 28. The sounds denoted by the letters w, and y, are called Semivowel Sounds, or simply Semivowels.

Observe. The letter y has sometimes the power of a vowel, as in merry; sometimes of a semivowel, as in yet. Sometimes, too, it is sounded as the i, in pine, in which case it is a Diphthong, a term which will be explained hereafter.

3

§ 29. The sounds denoted by the letters p, b, f, v, t, d, k, g,3 s, and z, are called Mute sounds, or, more simply, Mutes.

1 Walker's Pronouncing Dictionary, p. 19.

2 Sound, 37.

3 As in gun. The g in gibbet is a different sound, i.e. that of j.