change into that of tsh. In the words teach, catch, beseech, the last sound is that of tsh; as teatsh, catsh, beseetsh. Now this sound originated in the sound of k. It can be shewn from the comparison of languages that sounds like ka become, (1.) kya, (2.) ksha, (3.) tsha. Hence the words. teach, catch, and beseech are liable to the same changes as teak, cak, beseek, would be liable to. 2. The sounds of k (as in kan) and g (as in gun) are allied to each other. They are also allied to the same sounds, so that to all the changes whereto the sound of k is liable, the sound of g is liable also. 3. The sounds of k and g, as in brick and brig, are allied to the sound of ng, as in bring. 4. The sounds of k, g, and ng, allied to each other, are also allied to the sounds of h (in hot) and of y (in yet). Very often the h is sounded strongly and in the throat; in which case it is still more akin to the sound of g (as in gun). 5. The sound of y (in yet) and of h (in hot) have a great tendency to be softened in pronunciation, and afterwards to be omitted altogether. Putting these facts together, we can understand how syllables that once contained the sounds of k, g, ng, ngk, tsh, y, and h may gradually miss those sounds; having first changed them, and afterwards lost them altogether. 1. Seek, present; sough-t, preterite. The forms in A.S. are sece, soh-te. The sound of the altered k preserved in the spelling gh. 2. Teach, present; taugh-t, preterite. The forms in A. S. are tace, tah-te. The sound of the altered k preserved in the spelling gh. 3. Reach. The present preterite is reached (reat-sht), belonging to the first division. There is, however, the older preterite raugh-t, formed in the same way as taugh-t. A. S. race, rah-te. 4. Beseech, present; besough-t, preterite. Formed on the same principle as taught. 5. Catch, present; caugh-t, preterite. The sound of the altered k is still represented in the spelling gh. 6. Bring, present; brough-t, preterite. The altered. sound of ng is represented in the spelling gh. The A. S. forms were bringe, bróh-te. 7. Think, present; though-t, preterite. The altered sound of the nk is exhibited in the spelling gh. The A. S. forms were pince, pó-te. 8. Work, present; work-ed, and wrough-t, preterite. The word wrough-t is formed on the same principle as sough-t, except that, over and above the usual change, there is a transposition of the sound of the r. The A. S. forms were wyrce, worh-te. 9. Owe, present; ough-t, preterite. The forms in A. S. age, ahte. In this case the original g is represented in the spelling only; and that by w in the present, and gh in the preterite, tense. Owe is pronounced o, and ough-t is pronounced aut. This change from the sound of g to that of w, although not noticed above, is found in many words: as sorrow, sorwe, Old English; sorge, Danish; sorg, sorh, A. S. 10. Buy, present; bough-t, preterite. The original g is found in A. S. bycge, bóh-te. § 141. The following verbs have peculiarities in the form of their preterites. Made.-The form in A. S. is macie. Laid-The A. S. form was legde. Had. -The form in A. S. is hæf-de. Burnt.-The following preterites are remarkable, viz. burnt, learned (pronounced lernt), spoilt, dealt, dreamed (pronounced drěmt), felt, dwelt, knelt, meant, spelled (pronounced spelt), spilled (pronounced spilt). In all these these we find the sound of -t where we expect that of -d. Left, cleft, &c.-The following preterites are remarkable, viz. left, cleft, bereft. They end in the sound of -t, which is sharp. Yet the last sound of the present tense is that -v, which is flat. Hence we should expect that the pre of terites would be leaved, cleaved, bereaved, pronounced leerd, cleevd, bereevd. FORMS EFFECTED BY CHANGING THE VOWEL. § 142. These are best explained by the following table; wherein the asterisk (*) denotes that the word to which it is attached is obsolete. The letter (p) stands for plural, and it is supposed that the forms by the side of which it appears are derived from the plural forms as exhibited in § 127, or from (what is the same thing) those of the second person singular as exhibited in § 132. |