1001 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON
ORTHOGRAPHY and READING.
BY
B.A. HATHAWAY,
Author of the "1001 Question and Answer Book Series.
THE BURROWS BROTHERS COMPANY,
CLEVELAND, OHIO.
IN THE SAME SERIES.
1001 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON
U.S. HISTORY,
1001 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON
GEOGRAPHY.
1001 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON
GRAMMAR.
1001 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON
ARITHMETIC.
1001 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON
THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF TEACHING.
1001 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON
PHYSIOLOGY AND HYGIENE.
1001 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON
ORTHOGRAPHY AND READING.
1001 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON
GENERAL HISTORY.
1001 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON
BOTANY.
1001 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON
TEST EXAMPLES IN ARITHMETIC.
PREFATORY NOTE.
In presenting this, the seventh book of the "1001 Question and Answer Series," we feel that a great want is partially met. It is evident, from the number of inquiries made for such a book, that the works devoted to the subject of Orthography are very limited.
We are also aware that the Authors of the different Grammars devote such a limited space to the subject of Orthoepy and technical Orthography, that both Teacher and Pupil turn away from the subject in disgust.
In preparing this list of questions and answers we have consulted the best authority of the present day, and believe we have gone over the ground in such a way that it will meet the approval of all interested.
The questions and answers on Reading we trust will add to the interest of the book, and only hope that it will be received with as gracious a welcome and hearty approval as the rest of the series.
B.A.H.
APRIL, 1888.
CONTENTS.
PAGE.
Letters, 5
Orthoepy, 13
Substitutes, 17
Definitions and Words, 20
Rules and Terms, 25
Numerical Values of the Letters, 32
Capitals and Italics, 35
Abbreviations, 38
Accent and Punctuation, 40
Diacritical Marks, 44
Prefixes and Suffixes, 46
Promiscuous Questions, 56
Reading and Elocution, 60
Miscellaneous Exercises, 80
LETTERS.
1. What is Orthography?
The science and art of the Letters of a language.
2. Of what does Orthography treat?
The nature and power of letters, and correct spelling.
3. From what is the word Orthography derived?
Two Greek words, signifying "To write right."
4. What is a Letter?
A character used to represent an elementary sound, or combination of sounds.
5. What is an Alphabet of a Language?
A complete list of its letters.
6. What is the origin of the word Alphabet?
It is derived from the first two letters of the Greek Alphabet: Alpha and Beta.
7. Where did the Alphabet originate?
The English comes from the Greek, which was brought by Cadmus from Phoenicia, about the year 1490 B.C.
8. What was the first Alphabet ever used?
The Hebrew.
9 How many letters were in the original Alphabet?
Sixteen.
10. Where did the other letters originate?
They have been added since the time of Cadmus, as their use became necessary.
11. What was the last letter added to the English Alphabet?
W.
12. Why was it called W?
On account of it being composed of two u's, or a double u.
13. How many letters in the English Alphabet?
Twenty-six.
14. How many in the Latin Alphabet?
Twenty-five.
15. What is the difference between the Latin Alphabet and the English?
The Latin omits the letter W.
16. What Alphabet has the greatest number of letters?
The Chinese.
17. How many letters in the Chinese Alphabet?
Over two hundred.
18. What is a Perfect Alphabet?
One which contains the same number of letters that it has elementary sounds.
19. Is the English a perfect Alphabet?
It is not.
20. How many Elementary sounds in the English Language?
About forty-three.
21. What is an Imperfect Alphabet?
One in which the number of sounds exceeds the number of letters.
22. What is an Equivocal Alphabet?
An Imperfect one.
23. What is an Unequivocal Alphabet?
Same as Perfect.
24. Is the English Alphabet Equivocal or Unequivocal?
Equivocal.
25. What is a Univocal Alphabet?
One that has a separate character for each elementary sound.
26. What is an Alphabetic Language?
A language in which the characters represent separate articulate sounds.
27. What is a Phonetic Alphabet?
One in which there is a separate character for each elementary sound.
28. Is there any Phonetic Alphabet of the English Language?
There have been several published, but they are not in general use.
29. How many letters in the English Phonetic Alphabet?
Forty-three.
30. What is the name of a Letter?
The appellation by which it is known.
31. What is the difference between a Letter and its Name?
The letter is the character, and the name is its appellation.
32. What Letters name themselves?
The vowels A, E, I, O, and U.
33. How are the Letters divided?
Into Vowels and Consonants.
34. What are Vowels?
Those letters which represent only pure tones.
35. Name all the Vowels.
A, E, I, O, U, and in some situations W and Y.
36. What is a Consonant?
A letter that represents an interruption of sound or breath.
37. Why called Consonants?
Because they cannot be used alone in a word, but must be connected with a Vowel.
38. How many kinds of Consonants are there?
Two; single Letters and Combinations.
39. Name the Consonant letters.
B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, P, Q, R, S, T, V, W, X, Y, and Z.
40. Name the Consonant Combinations.
Th, Sh, Ch, Zh, Wh, and Ng.
41. Name the two Orders of the Consonants.
Mutes and Semi-vowels.
42. What are Mutes?
Those letters which admit of no escape of breath while the organs of speech are in contact.
43. Name the Mutes.
B, D, K, P, T, and C and G hard.
44. What other term is often applied to the Mutes?
Close Consonant.
45. What are Semi-vowels?
Those letters that admit of an escape of breath while the organs of speech are in contact.
46. Name the Semi-vowels.
F, H, J, L, M, N, R, S, V, W, X, Y, Z, and C and G soft.
47. Are the Combinations Mutes or Semi-vowels?
They are all Semi-vowels.
48. What letters are called Nasals?
M, N, and Ng.
49. What other term is often applied to the Semi-vowels?
Loose Consonant.
50. What letters are called Liquids?
L, M, N, and R.
51. Why are the Liquids so called?
Because of their flowing sound, which readily unites with the sound of other letters.
52. What are Sibilants?
Letters which have a hissing sound; as, S and Z.
53. What letter is called the Mute Sibilant?
The letter X.
54. What letters represent no sound of their own?
C, Q, and X.
55. What are these letters called?
Redundant letters.
56. Why are they so named?
Because they are not necessary for the completion of the Alphabet.
57. By what letters are the sounds of C represented?
K and S.
58. What letters represent the sound of Q?
Kw.
59. What letters represent the sound X?
Ks.
60. What letters of themselves form words?
A, I, and O.
61. Spell all of the Consonants.
Bee, Cee, Dee, Eff, Gee, Aitch, Jay, Kay, Ell, Em, En, Pee, Kw, Ar, Ess, Tee, Vee, Double-u, Ex, Wy, and Zee.—Goold Brown.
62. What letters are called the Twins?
Q and U.
63. Why so called?
Because Q is always followed by U in English spelling.
64. Is there any exception to this rule?
The word LEECLERCQ is sometimes given as an example, but in English it is spelled LEECLERC.
65. What is meant by style of letters?
Different type; as, Roman, Script, Italics, etc.
66. How many forms have letters?
Two.
67. What are they?
Small letters and Capitals.
68. What are the Natural Divisions of Consonants?
Subvocals and Aspirates.
69. What are Subvocals?
Those Consonants which produce an undertone of voice when their sounds are uttered.
70. Name the Subvocals.
B, D, G hard; J and G soft; L, M, N, R, V, W, Y, Z, Zh, and Ng.
71. What are Aspirates?
Mere whispers made by the organs of speech and breath.
72. Name the Aspirates.
C, F, H, K, P, Q, S, T, X, Ch, Sh, and Wh.
73. What Combination is both Aspirate and Subvocal?
Th.
74. What are Cognate letters?
Those which are produced by the same organs of speech in a similar position.
75. Give an example of a Cognate letter.
D is a cognate of T.
76. What are Quiescent letters?
Those that are silent.
77. How many uses have Silent letters?
Five.
78. What are they?
To modify vowels; to modify consonants; to determine signification; to determine origin; and to distinguish words of like signification.
79. What are Explodents?
Those letters whose sound cannot be prolonged.
80. Name the Explodents.
B, D, G, J, P, Q, T, and K.
81. What are the principle organs of speech?
Lips, teeth, tongue, and palate.
82. What is meant by Organical division of the consonants?
Pertaining to those particular organs used in their pronunciation.
83. Name the Organical divisions.
Labials, Dentals, Linguals, and Palatals.
84. What are Labials?
Those letters whose sounds are modified by the lips.
85. Name them.
B, F, M, P, V, W, and Wh.
86. What are Dentals?
Those letters whose sounds are modified by the teeth.
87. Name them.
J, S, Z, Ch, Sh, Zh, C and G soft.
88. What are Linguals?
Those letters whose sounds are modified by the tongue.
89. Name them.
D, L, N, R, T, Y, and Th.
90. What are Palatals?
Those letters whose sounds are modified by the palate.
91. Name them.
K, Q, X, Ng, C and G hard.
92. What letters have no Organical classification?
H, and all the vowels.
93. What is an Aphthong?
A silent letter or combination.
94. How many kinds of Aphthongs?
Three.
95. What are they?
Vowels, Consonants, and Combinations.
96. What letters are never silent?
F, J, Q, R, and X.
97. In what words is V silent?
Sevennight and twelvemonth.
98. In what word is Z silent?
Rendezvous.
99. What letters are never doubled?
X and H.
100. How many words contain all the vowels in regular order?
Two.
101. What are they?
Abstemious and Facetious.
102. What is a Diphthong?
Two vowels sounded together in the same syllable.
103. Name the Diphthongs.
Ou, Ow, Oi, and Oy.
104. How many sounds do they represent?
Two.
105. What are the sounds called?
Diphthongal sounds.
106. How many kinds of Diphthongs are there?
Two.
107. What are they?
Separable and Inseparable.
108. Which ones are Separable?
Oi and Oy.
109. What is an Improper Diphthong?
The union of two vowels in a syllable, one of which is silent.
110. By what other name are they known?
Digraph.
111. How many Digraphs are there?
Twenty-five.
112. Name them.
Aa, Ae, Ai, Ao, Au, Aw, Ay, Ea, Ee, Ei, Eo, Eu, Ew, Ey, Ie, Oa, Oe, Oi, Oo, Ou, Ow, Ua, Ue, Ui, and Uy.
113. What is a Trigraph?
A union of three vowels in one syllable, two of which are silent, or all three representing one sound.
114. How many Trigraphs are there?
Eight.
115. Name them.
Awe, Aye, Eau, Eou, Eye, Ieu, Iew, and Uoi.
116. What is a Tetragraph?
Union of four vowels in one syllable.
117. How many Tetragraphs are there?
One.
118. What is it?
Ueue in the word Queue.
119. May the terms Digraph, etc., be used with the Consonants?
They may.
120. Give example of Consonant Digraph.
Gh, in the word laugh.
121. Give example of Consonant Trigraph.
Thr, in the word throw.
122. Give example of Consonant Tetragraph.
Phth, in the word phthisic.
123. What is a regular Triphthong?
A vowel trigraph in which all three of the vowels are sounded.
124. Give an example.
Quoit.
ORTHOEPY.
1. What is Orthoepy?
That science which treats of the elementary sounds and the pronunciation of words.
2. What is Phonology?
The science of the elementary sounds uttered by the human voice in speech.
3. What is an Elementary sound?
One that cannot be divided so as to be represented by two or more letters.
4. What is Sound?
A sensation produced on the auditory nerve by the rapid vibratory motion of any elastic substance.
5. What is the least number of vibrations that will produce an audible sound?
Sixteen per second.
6. What is the greatest number that can be heard?
About forty thousand per second.
7. What is Voice?
Sound produced by the vocal chords.
8. What is an Articulate sound?
One made by the organs of speech and used in language.
9. What is a Vocal sound?
One that is modified but not obstructed by the articulatory organs.
10. What is a simple Vocal sound?
One made without any change in the position of the articulatory organs during its emission.
11. What is a Coalescent?
An articulate sound that always precedes and unites with a vocal.
12. What is a Guttural sound?
One that is modified by the soft palate.
13. What are Unarticulate sounds?
The sounds of the vowels.
14. How many Elementary sounds do the vowels represent?
Fifteen.
15. How many do the Consonants represent?
Eighteen.
16. How many do the Combinations represent?
Seven.
17. How many do the Diphthongs represent?
Only one, as oi and oy
18. How many sounds has A?
Five.
19. What are they?
Long, Short, Medial, Flat, and Broad.
20. How many sounds has E?
Two.
21. What are they?
Long and Short.
22. How many sounds has I?
Two.
23. What are they?
Long and Short.
24. How many sounds has O?
Three.
25. What are they?
Long, Short, and Slender.
26. How many sounds has U?
Three.
27. What are they?
Long, Short, and Medial.
28. How many sounds has B?
One; as heard in the word babe.
29. How many sounds has C?
None that may be properly called its own.
30. How many sounds has D?
One; as heard in the word did.
31. How many sounds has F?
One; as heard in the word flew.
32. How many sounds has G?
Two; as heard in the words go and age.
33. How many sounds has H?
One; as heard in the word high.
34. How many sounds has J?
None of its own, but represents one; the sound of G.
35. How many sounds has K?
One; as heard in the word key.
36. How many sounds has L?
One; as heard in the word lily.
37. How many sounds has M?
One; as heard in the word money.
38. How many sounds has N?
One; as heard in the word nat.
39. How many sounds has P?
One; as heard in the word pie.
40. How many sounds has R?
One; as heard in the word roar. (REM.—Some authors give r three sounds.)
41. How many sounds has S?
One; as heard in the word same.
42. How many sounds has T?
One; as heard in the word tight.
43. How many sounds has V?
One; as heard in the word view.
44. How many sounds has W?
One; as heard in the word we.
45. How many sounds has X?
None of its own, as it is a redundant letter.
46. How many sounds has Z?
One; as heard in the word ooze.
47. How many sounds has Th?
Two; as heard in the words thigh and the.
48. How many sounds has Ch?
One; as heard in the word church.
49. How many sounds has Sh?
One; as heard in the word ash.
50. How many sounds has Zh?
One obscurely; represented by si in such words as fusion, zi in glazier.
51. How many sounds has Wh?
One; as heard in the word what.
52. How many sounds has Ng?
One; as heard in the word sing.
53. What are regular sounds?
The long sounds of the letters.
SUBSTITUTES.
1. What is a Substitute?
A letter representing a sound usually represented by another.
2. What are Equivalent letters?
Letters representing the same sound.
3. What properties do Substitutes assume?
The properties of the letter whose sound it represents.
4. How many Substitutes has a long?
Four.
5. What are they?
E in tete; ei in feint; ey in they; and ao in gaol.
6. How many Substitutes has a middle?
Two.
7. What are they?
E in there; and ei in heir.
8. How many Substitutes has a broad?
Two.
9. What are they?
O in cord; and ou in sought.
10. How many Substitutes has e long?
Three.
11. What are they?
I in marine; ie in fiend; and ay in quay.
12. How many Substitutes has e short?
Two.
13. What are they?
A in says; and u in bury.
14. How many Substitutes has i long?
Two.
15. What are they?
Y in chyme; and oi in choir.
16. How many Substitutes has i short?
Six.
17. What are they?
Y in hymn; e in England; u in busy; o in women; ee in been; and ai in captain.
18. How many Substitutes has o long?
Two.
19. What are they?
Eau in beau; and ew in sew.
20. How many Substitutes has o short?
One.
21. What is it?
A in what.
22. How many Substitutes has u long?
One.
23. What is it?
Ew in new.
24. How many Substitutes has u short?
Three.
25. What are they?
E in her; i in sir; and o in son.
26. How many Substitutes has u medial?
One.
27. What is it?
O in wolf.
28. How many Substitutes has F?
Two.
29. What are they?
Gh in laugh; and ph in philosophy.
30. How many Substitutes has J?
Three.
31. What are they?
G in rage; di in soldier; and d in verdure.
32. How many Substitutes has S?
Two.
33. What are they?
C soft, as in central; and z in quartz.
34. How many Substitutes has T?
One.
35. What is it?
Ed final, after any aspirate except t.
36. How many Substitutes has V?
One.
37. What is it?
F in of.
38. How many Substitutes has W?
One.
39. What is it?
U in quick.
40. How many Substitutes has X?
One.
41. What is it?
Ks in exist.
42. How many Substitutes has Y?
One.
43. What is it?
I in alien.
44. How many Substitutes has Z?
Three.
45. What are they?
S in was; c in suffice; and x in xebec.
46. How many Substitutes has Ch?
Two.
47. What are they?
Ti in question; and t in nature.
48. How many Substitutes has Sh?
Six.
49. What are they?
Ce in ocean; ci in social; si in mansion; ti in motion; ch in chaise; and s in sugar.
50. How many Substitutes has Zh?
Four.
51. What are they?
Si in fusion; zi in brazier; z in azure; and s in rasure.
52. How many substitutes has Ng?
One.
53. What is it?
N generally before palate sounds; as, conquer, etc.
54. What letters have no Substitutes?
B, D, G, H, L, M, N, P, and R.
55. What combinations have no Substitutes?
Th and Wh.
56. Why is X never doubled?
It already represents the sounds of K and S.
57. What letter ends no English word?
J.
DEFINITIONS AND WORDS.
1. What is Language?
Any method for the communication of thought and feeling.
2. What is Natural Language?
Instinctive methods of communicating thought or feeling.
3. What is Artificial Language?
That which must be learned before it can be used.
4. Is the English Language natural or artificial?
Artificial.
5. How many kinds of Artificial Language?
Two.
6. What are they.
Spoken and written.
7. What is Spoken Language?
That produced by the vocal organs.
8. What is Written Language?
Any method of communicating thought or feeling by the use of written or printed characters.
9. What are the messengers of thought?
Sentences.
10. What is a Sentence?
An assemblage of words conveying a thought.
11. What is a Word?
A sign of an idea.
12. What is Lexicology?
That science which treats of the meaning of words.
13. What is Etymology?
That science which treats of the origin and derivation of words.
14. What is Orthogeny?
That science which treats of the classification of words into parts of speech.
15. What is Syntax?
That science which treats of the relation and connection of words in the construction of a sentence.
16. What is Prosody?
That science which treats of punctuation and the laws of versification.
17. Of what is a word composed?
A syllable or combination of syllables.
18. What is a Syllable?
A letter or letters uttered by a single impulse of the voice.
19. What is the essential part of a syllable?
A vowel.
20. Can there be a syllable without it containing a vowel sound?
There cannot.
21. What is Syllabication?
That branch of etymology which treats of the division of words into syllables.
22. How many methods of Syllabication are there?
Two.
23. What are they?
English and American.
24. What is the object of the English method?
To separate words into their elementary parts without regard to pronunciation; as, a-tom.
25. What is the object of the American method?
To indicate the proper pronunciation by separating affixes from the roots.
26. What is a word of one syllable called?
A monosyllable.
27. What is a word of two syllables called?
A dissyllable.
28. What is a word of three syllables called?
A trisyllable.
29. What is a word of more than three syllables called?
A polysyllable.
30. What is the Ultimate syllable of a word?
The last syllable.
31. What is the Penultimate syllable?
Next to the last syllable in a word.
32. What is the Antepenultimate syllable?
The last syllable but two in a word.
33. What is the Preantepenultimate syllable?
The last syllable but three in a word.
34. What other way may the syllables be described?
In their numerical order; as, first, second, etc.
35. How many syllables can a word have?
As many as it has vowels or diphthongs sounded.
36. How many words in the English language?
About one hundred and twenty thousand.
37. How are words divided in reference to form?
Into simple and compound.
38. How are they divided in reference to origin?
Into primitive and derivative.
39. What is a Simple word?
One that is not composed of two or more whole words.
40. What is a Compound word?
One that is composed of two or more distinct words.
41. What is a Primitive word?
One in no way derived from another in the same language.
42. What is a Radical word?
Same as primitive.
43. What is a Derivative word?
One formed by joining to a primitive some letter or letters to modify its meaning.
44. What is Analysis?
Separating a word or syllable into its elements or parts.
45. What is Synthesis?
The process of combining elements to form syllables and words.
46. What is the Base of a Compound word?
That word representing the fundamental idea.
47. What is the Modifier in a Compound word?
That word which describes the other.
48. What is the Base of a Derivative word?
The primitive from which it is derived.
49. What is the Modifier in a Derivative word?
The affix.
50. What is an Affix?
That part of a derivative word attached to the root.
51. How many Root words in the English language?
Over one thousand.
52. What is a Prefix?
That part of a derivative word placed before the root.
53. What is a Postfix?
That part of a derivative word placed after the root.
54. What is a Suffix?
Same as a postfix.
55. What are Affixes?
Prefixes and postfixes together are called affixes.
56. How many kinds of Derivatives are there?
Two.
57. What are they?
Regular and irregular.
58. What is a Regular derivative?
One that is formed by the addition of affixes without changing the letters in the primitive part (except final e silent).
59. What is an Irregular derivative?
One in which the letters of the primitive part are changed.
60. In using Affixes, what rule should be observed?
The affix and root should be from the same language.
61. Is the same rule to be observed in forming Compound words?
It is.
62. What is a Mongrel compound word?
One formed contrary to the rule.
63. Give an example.
Cable-graph and cable-gram.
64. What are Barbarisms?
Same as mongrel.
65. When use the hyphen in Compound words?
When they are not permanently compounded.
66. What is an Obsolete word?
One gone out of date.
RULES AND TERMS.
1. What is Spelling?
A distinct expression of the letters or sounds of a word in their proper order.
2. How many kinds of Spelling?
Two.
3. What are they?
Orthographic and Phonic.
4. What is Orthographic spelling?
An expression of the letters of a written or printed word in their proper order.
5. What is Phonic spelling?
An expression of the elementary sounds of a word in their proper order, according to established usage.
6. What is meant by good usage?
The usage, or custom, of the best speakers and writers of the times.
7. How do we know when we have spelled a word correctly?
By reference to the Dictionary?
8. What is a Lexicographer?
An author of a dictionary.
9. Can we spell by Rules?
We cannot.
10. Why?
Because there are too many exceptions.
11. What makes a rule in Orthography?
Whenever a letter is silent, or usually so, a rule is formed.
12. Why is c placed before r in acre, massacre, etc.?
To preserve the hard sound of c.
13. What is the rule for Digraphs?
A digraph must have one vowel silent.
14. Give rule for E final.
E final is silent when another vowel precedes it in the same syllable.
15. What effect does final E have on the preceding vowel?
It usually preserves its long sound.
16. When is B silent?
Before t, or after m, in the same syllable.
17. When is C silent?
Before k in the same syllable; also, before z, l, or
t, in a few words.
18. When is D silent?
Before g in the same syllable.
19. When is G silent?
Before m or n in the same syllable.
20. When is H silent?
After g or r in the same syllable; and h final after a vowel is always silent; also, in a few words after t, and initial in a few words.
21. When is L silent?
After a when followed by f, m, k, or v, except in the word valve; also, before d in could, etc.
22. When is M silent?
Before n in a few words.
23. When is N silent?
Final after l or m.
24. When is P silent?
Initial before n, s, or t.
25. When is S silent?
In a few irregular words; as, isle, puisne, viscount, corps, etc.
26. When is T silent?
Before ch in the same syllable; also, in Christmas, eclat, mortgage, etc.
27. When is V silent?
In two words only—Sevennight and Twelvemonth.
28. When is W silent?
Before r in the same syllable also, in whoop, sword, two, etc.
29. When is Gh silent?
After i in the same syllable; also, after au and ou in some words.
30. When is Ch silent?
In a few words; as, drachm, yacht, etc.
31. When is Z silent?
In one word only—Rendezvous.
32. What letters are never silent?
F, J, Q, and R.
33. What is meant by Antecedent part of a syllable?
That part before the vowel.
34. What is the Consequent part of a syllable?
That part which follows the vowel.
35. How many words end in Ceed?
Three.
36. What are they?
Exceed, proceed, and succeed.
37. How many of the English words are derived from the Latin?
About, three-fourths.
38. What Language is called "Our mother tongue?"
Anglo-Saxon.
39. From what language do we get most of our Scientific terms?
The Greek.
40. How many English words begin with IN as a prefix?
Two hundred and fifty.
41. How many begin
Seventy-five.
42. How many begin with un?
About two thousand.
43. Were final E not silent, what would be the result?
Another syllable would be formed.
44. When is final E dropped in spelling?
Before vowel terminations mostly.
45. Why is the final E retained in such words as changeable and traceable?
To preserve the soft sound of the c or g.
46. In the words fleeing, seeing, etc., why retain both Es?
To determine the proper meaning of the word.
47 What is a Figure of orthography?
Any departure from the ordinary spelling of a word.
48. How many Figures are there?
Two.
49 What are they?
Archaism and Mimesis.
50. What is Archaism?
The spelling of a word according to ancient usage.
51. What is Mimesis?
The spelling of a word in imitation of a false pronunciation.
52. When is i used as a consonant?
When followed by a vowel in the same syllable; as in alien, etc.
53. When is y final changed to e?
Before the suffix ous; as in beauteous.
54. When is y final changed to i?
Before the suffix ful; as in beautiful.
55. What is a Redundant prefix?
One that does not change the signification of the root; as, a in the word adry.
56. When is ie changed to y?
Before the ending ing.
57. When use the digraph ei in spelling?
Ei follows c soft, and begins words.
58. When use ie in spelling?
Ie follows consonants (except c soft), and ends words.
59. In changing the word hoe to hoeing, why retain the e?
To preserve its signification.
60. What is the origin of the suffix less?
Anglo-Saxon.
61. What is the origin of the word English?
It is derived from the word Angles.
62. Who were the Angles?
They were a tribe of people who came from the land of the Low Germans and settled in Britain in the fifth century.
63. What does the word England mean?
"The land of the Angles."
64. Why is our language sometimes called the "Teutonic language"?
Because it is derived from the ancient Germans, who were called Teutons.
65. What kind of words end in ize?
Verbs derived from the Greek.
66. What kind of words end in ise?
Most words derived from the French.
67. Why is the English called a Composite Language?
Because it is derived from so many different sources.
68. Does adding a single consonant to a word ever make an additional syllable?
It does.
69. Give examples.
Grade, grad-ed; confide, con-fi-ded.
70. Can a word be compound and derivative at the same time?
It can; as, ball-player.
71. How distinguish between an affix and a part of a compound word?
If all the parts retain their literal signification they form a compound; if not, the part which loses its signification becomes an affix in a derivative.
72. Is the word outside compound or derivative?
It is compound.
73. Is the word outrun compound or derivative?
It is derivative.
74. What is Derivation?
That branch of etymology which treats of the sources of the words of a language.
75. How many kinds of Derivation?
Two.
76. What are they?
Paronymous and Historical.
77. What is Paronymous derivation?
That part of etymology which treats of present sources of English words.
78. Give examples of Paronymous derivation.
Kingdom, from king; Manly, from man, etc.
79. What is Historical derivation?
That part of etymology which treats of the foreign sources of the English language.
80. Give examples of Historical derivation.
Book, from boc; Moon, from mona, etc.
81. When use a, and when an, in a sentence?
Use a before all words beginning with a consonant sound, and use an before words beginning with a vowel sound, or with h mute, or h initial, if the accent is on any other syllable than the first.
82. Why do words in the English language become obsolete?
Because it is a living language.
83. What is a new word?
One that has recently come into use.
84. Name some new words.
Outsider, intensify, repudiate, and idiom.
85. What is meant by suspended animation of a word?
A word that passes out of use for a while and then resumes its place in literature.
86. Give examples of suspended words.
The words reckless, abate, and abandon, fell into disuse in the seventeenth century, but have since been revived.
87. What letters are called the pivots?
Y and w.
88. Why are they so called?
Because of their peculiar sounds in changing from vowels to consonants.
89. What kind of new words should be avoided?
Any word formed contrary to the genius of the language.
90. What is meant by idiom?
A peculiar mode of expression.
91. What is diction?
Diction treats of the selection and right use of words.
92. When is our diction pure?
When we use only such words as belong to the idiom of our language.
93. What are Synonyms?
Words having a similar signification.
94. What is a Synonymicon?
A dictionary of synonymous words.
95. What is meant by a reputable word?
One that is used by educated people.
96. What is an Anacoluthic word?
One that is unnecessary to the completion of a sentence.
97. What is an Idiomatic word?
A word belonging to an individual language.
98. What is an Ideographical language?
One in which the characters represent ideas rather than sounds.
99. Can there be a derivative word without an affix?
There can; as, brought from bring.
100. What is Dactylology?
The art of spelling words with the fingers.
101. What is the Pythagorean letter?
Y.—Am. Cyclopedia.
102. Why so called?
Because its Greek original represents the sacred triad used to designate the diverging paths of virtue and vice.