OBS.—­As quantity is chiefly to be regarded in the utterance of poetical compositions, this subject will be farther considered under the head of Versification.

ARTICLE III.—­OF ACCENT.

ACCENT, as commonly understood, is the peculiar stress which we lay upon some particular syllable of a word, whereby that syllable is distinguished from and above the rest; as, gram’-mar, gram-ma’-ri-an.

Every word of more than one syllable, has one of its syllables accented; and sometimes a compound word has two accents, nearly equal in force; as, e’ven-hand’ed, home’-depart’ment.[472]

Besides the chief or primary accent, when the word is long, for the sake of harmony or distinctness, we often give a secondary or less forcible accent to an other syllable; as, to the last of tem’-per-a-ture’, and to the second of in dem’-ni-fi-ca’-tion.

“Accent seems to be regulated, in a great measure, by etymology.  In words from the Saxon, the accent is generally on the root; in words from the learned languages, it is generally on the termination; and if to these we add the different accent we lay on some words, to distinguish them from others, we seem to have the three great principles of accentuation; namely, the radical, the terminational, and the distinctive.”—­Walker’s Principles, No. 491; L.  Murray’s Grammar, 8vo, p. 236.

A full and open pronunciation of the long vowel sounds, a clear articulation of the consonants, a forcible and well-placed accent, and a distinct utterance of the unaccented syllables, distinguish the elegant speaker.

OBSERVATIONS.

OBS. 1.—­The pronunciation of the English language is confessedly very difficult to be mastered.  Its rules and their exceptions are so numerous, that few become thoroughly acquainted with any general system of them.  Nor, among the different systems which have been published, is there any which is worthy in all respects to be accounted a STANDARD.  And, if we appeal to custom, the custom even of the best speakers is far from an entire uniformity.  Perhaps the most popular directory on this subject is Walker’s Critical Pronouncing Dictionary.  The “Principles of English Pronunciation,” which this author has furnished, occupy fifty-six closely-printed octavo pages, and are still insufficient for the purpose of teaching our orthoepy by rule.  They are, however, highly valuable, and ought to be consulted by every one who wishes to be master of this subject.  In its vocabulary, or stock of words, this Dictionary is likewise deficient.  Other lexicographers have produced several later works, of high value to the student; and, though no one has treated the subject of pronunciation so elaborately as did Walker, some may have given the results of their diligence in a form more useful to the generality of their consulters.  Among the good ones, is the Universal and Critical Dictionary of Joseph E. Worcester.