ACCENT

In the English language every word of more than one syllable is pronounced with a stress of voice, called accent, upon one of its syllables. In words of three or more syllables there are usually two accents, one light and the other stronger. The greater stress is called the primary accent; the lighter, the secondary. In words of six or more syllables there are often found three accents, one strong and the others light. Orthoëpists generally mark the two light accents alike and call both secondary. The acute ear will discover that there is frequently a difference in the degree of stress or force with which the syllables of lighter accent are struck, so that we would be justified in designating the accented syllables as primary, secondary, and tertiary, and in giving each a distinctive mark.

These accents exert considerable influence upon the vocal sounds. In monosyllables and in accented syllables the vowels are uttered with distinctness; in unaccented syllables they are often more or less obscured.

The character of the sentiment has also much to do in determining the sharpness or the obscurity of the vowel sounds. In colloquial language they are not only obscured, but often lean toward sounds of easier utterance; in the more dignified forms of discourse the sharpness of both vowel and consonant sounds is more fully preserved. "Those who wish to pronounce elegantly," as Walker truly remarks, "must be particularly attentive to the unaccented vowels, as a neat pronunciation of these forms one of the greatest beauties of speaking."

Nouns of two syllables generally take the accent upon the first; as, almond, bellows, brigand, caisson, currant, dahlia, decade, expert, falcon, frontier, sachem, orchid, squalor, strata, truffle.

The ordinary reader or speaker, though ignorant of the

above and other general laws of accent, instinctively obeys them. When, therefore, he meets with an exception to the rule, unless he is very familiar with the true pronunciation of the word, he is almost certain to mispronounce it. For this reason the exceptions are more important for study than the words falling under the rule. Examples: address, adept, adult, allies, annex, ascent, bouquet, cabal, contour, divan, excess, research, resource, morass, recess, romance, compeer, finance, recourse, routine, grimace, melee, mustache, pretence, pretext, surtout.

Adjectives of two syllables, like nouns, take the accent upon the first; as, currish, diverse, extant, jocund, piquant. Exceptions: canine, expert, robust, verbose, condign, occult, prolix, jocose, rotund, saline, supine.

Verbs of two syllables take the accent upon the second; as, amass, digest, erase, suffice, surname, ferment, purloin. Exceptions: construe, donate, sojourn, preface, ransack, comment, gyrate, harass, locate, vacate.

In words of three or more syllables, the place of most frequent accent seems to be upon the antepenult. This is called by Walker the favorite accent of the language. Examples: dogmatist, duplicate, earnestness, elliptical, economist, exterminate, simultaneous, ammoniacal, homeopathy, hypochondria, idiosyncrasy, dicotyledonous, impracticability, monocotyledonous, valetudinarian, incommensurability, unintelligibility.

The exceptions to this rule are many and various. Words ending in tion, cion, sion, usually take the accent upon the penult; as, attraction, interjection, coercion, comprehension, multiplication, personification.

Many words of classical origin retain the original accent; as, acumen, abdo'men, lyceum, muse'um, bitu'men, horizon, sonor'ous, deco'rum, athena'um, mausoleum, parago'ge.

Many derivatives retain the accent of the words from which they are derived. From censure we have censur

ing, censurable; from contribute we have contributor, contributory. To this rule we also find many exceptions. The above rule for terminations in tion always supersedes the law of derivatives, hence we have contribution, confiscation. Such exceptions as the following are also very common: chastisement, comparable, disputable, lamentable, impiously, irreparable.

In many cases the accent seems to be quite arbitrary. In the following words it is very often misplaced: def'icit, hos'pitable, formidable, con'tumely, des'picable, no'menclature, per' emptory, exemplary, con'tumacy, or'thoëpy, or'thoëpist, obligatory, indisputable, indis'solubly, manumit', magazine', acclimated, defal'cate, inun'date, exculpate, inqui'ry, expo'nent, condolence, oppo'nent.

DISCRIMINATIVE ACCENT

Accent is sometimes employed to discriminate between words of the same spelling, but with a difference in meaning or use. In accordance with the rule previously stated, the noun and adjective forms take the accent on the first syllable and the verb forms on the last.

ANTITHETICAL ACCENT

When the accent is transferred from the syllable upon which it properly belongs, to another syllable, in order to show contrast of thought, it is called antithetical or rhetorical accent. All literature abounds in these antitheses, so that the reader of even ordinary ability instinctively adapts himself to the change of accent. Examples: He must in'crease but I must de'crease. Pardon our sins of o'mission as well as of com'mission. This corrupt'ible must put on in'corruption, and this mortal must put on im'mortality.

INFLUENCE OF ACCENT ON THE VOWEL SOUNDS

1. Obscure a.-The vowel a, when it forms or terminates an unaccented syllable has the sound of obscure a; as in a-mong, bi-na-ry, i-de-a. When the a is followed by an accented vowel it takes a shortened form of long a; as in a-e'-ri-al, cha-ot'ic. When h follows a in a final unaccented syllable, the vowel takes the sound of obscure a; as in Jehó-vah, Mes-sí-ah.

2. ar. In the unaccented terminal syllables ar and ard the vowel has the sound of Italian a, slightly obscured.

Some orthoëpists give these terminations the sound of ur and urd, but this places a premium upon slovenliness of pronunciation. The Italian a is easily preserved, and when lightly, yet distinctly, uttered, will not offend the most fastidious ear. Examples: liar, cellar, pillar, collar, dollar, scholar, solar, polar, lunar, regular, circular, popular, particular, niggard, sluggard, tankard, drunkard, dullard, spikenard, leopard, dotard, dastard, leeward, homeward, steward, backward, awkward, coward, froward, upward, downward, forward, vineyard, hazard, lizard, wizard.

3. ate. In the unaccented final syllable ate, the vowel takes the sound of long a. In verbs of this termination the sharpness of the vowel is fully preserved; as in vacate, dedicate, calculate, articulate. In nouns and adjectives the long a is more obscure; as certificate, duplicate, advocate, mandate, agate, frigate, surrogate, opiate, articulate, licentiate, prelate, chocolate, pirate, primate, delicate, intricate, roseate, desolate, ultimate, intimate, fortunate.

The distinction between the sharper and the more obscure forms of long a is brought out most clearly in the use of the same word; as in articulate (adjective), articulate (verb), separate (adjective), separate (verb).

It will be observed, too, that the most obscure form of this unaccented termination occurs in nouns and adjectives of two syllables; as in climate, legate, private. This is due to the fact that the syllable of greatest stress is usually followed by that having least stress. In words of more. than two syllables the primary accent frequently occurs on the antepenult or pre-antepenult, so that by the time the terminal syllable is reached, there is a gain in stress almost or quite equal to a secondary accent.

The degree of the stress largely determines the sharpness or obscurity of the vowel. In the terminal syllable of the words calculate, advocate, duplicate, delicate, chocolate, private, the a represents a series of fine gradations of