The following pages are from the 1800 edition, the material is not present in the 1824 edition, which was simplified a bit for younger students. (Donald Potter, 1/27/07). ==================== PREFACE. ========== THE design of this Grammatical Institute is to furnish schools in this country with an easy, accurate and comprehensive system of rules and lessons for teaching the English language. To frame a complete system upon such an extensive plan, it was judged requisite to compile a small cheap volume for the use of beginners, containing words methodically arranged, sufficient to give the learner a just idea of spelling. (It appears to me a great misapplication of money, to put a large book, and especially a grammar, into the hands of children who are learning the letters.) Among the defects and absurdities found in the books of this kind hitherto used, we may rank the want of a thorough investigation of the sounds in the English language, and the powers of the several letters--the promiscuous arrangement of words in the same table, in which the same letters have several different sounds—the unnatural and arbitrary method of dividing syllables, which separates letters from the syllables where they belong, supplying the defect by artificial marks, and which, in several hundred words, makes more syllables than are pronounced--and particularly the omission of a criterion by which the various sounds of the vowels may be distinguished. In attempting to correct these faults, it was necessary to begin with the elements of the language, and explain the powers of the letters. With regard to some of them, the opinions of Grammarians are divided; but perhaps the definitions given in the analysis, of the terms vowel, diphthong, and consonant, will establish an almost infallible rule for the decision of every question respecting the alphabet. The Index or Key to the pronunciation of the vowels and diphthongs, appears to me sufficiently plain, and so accurate as to prevent every material error. A more accurate plan may be formed; but it must be too intricate to be useful in common schools. In adapting the first tables to the capacities of children, and the progress of knowledge in the tender mind, particular care has been taken to begin with easy words, and proceed gradually through every class to those that are most irregular and difficult. Most monosyllables of general use are collected in the following work, except such as end in e, and have the preceding vowel long; or such as end in a consonant, and have the preceding vowel short; and a few in ee, in either of which cases, the bare mention of the letters is sufficient to lead the learner to a just pronunciation. 132 In the tables of polysyllables, most or all the anomalous words of common use are collected; terms of art, which belong to particular professions are omitted. In order to comprise the greatest possible number of words in a small compass, compound and derivative words are generally omitted; as they usually follow the rules of their primitives. The syllables of words are divided as they are pronounced, and for this obvious reason, that children learn the language by the ear. Rules are of no consequence but to printers and adults. In Spelling Books they embarrass children, and double the labour of the teacher. The whole design of dividing words into syllables at all, is to lead the pupil to the true pronunciation: and the easiest method to effect this purpose will forever be the best. Reason might teach this truth; but experience places the matter beyond a controversy: The teachers who have used the former editions of this work, have unanimously declared, that children learn to spell and pronounce with more ease and exactness, and give much less trouble to the matter, than they did in the use of Dilworth's New Guide, or other Spelling Books framed on the same plan. As the orthography of our language is not yet settled with precision, I have in this particular generally followed the most approved authors of the last and present century. In some classes of words the spelling of Ash is preferred to that of Johnson, which is less correct. The names of places peculiar to America are not all spelt as in former books; but it is expected this licence will be excused, as it renders the spelling more agreeable to the pronunciation. The spelling of such words as publick, favour, neighbour, bead, prove, phlegm, his, give, debt, rough, well, instead of the more natural and easy method, public, favor, nabor, bed, proov, flem, hiz, giv, det, ruf, wel, has the plea of antiquity in its favour; and yet I am convinced that common sense and convenience will sooner or later get the better of the present absurd practice. But when we give new names to places, rivers, &c. or express Indian sounds by English letters, the orthography should coincide exactly with the true pronunciation. To retain old difficulties may be absurd; but to create them without he least occasion, is folly in the extreme. It is the work of years to learn the present spelling of our language -- a work which, with a correct orthography, might be performed in a few months. The advantage of familiarizing children to the spelling and pronunciation of American names is very obvious, and must give this work the preference to foreign Spelling Books. It is of great importance to give our youth early and correct information respecting the geography of this country. We have a multitutde of books which give us the state of other countries, but scarcely one which affords us any account of our own.* An explanation of the names and geographical terms in this part of the Institute, are given in the third part. The necessity and probable utility of the plan will best appear by examining the execution. Such material alterations of the old system of education will undoubtedly alarm the rigid friends of antiquity; but in vindication of the work, the author assures the public, that it has the approbation and patronage of many of the principal literary characters in America, and that it is framed upon a plan similar to those of the best Lexicographers and Grammarians in the British nation. 133 To diffuse a uniformity and purity of language in America — to destroy the provincial prejudices that originate in the trifling differences of dialect, and produce reciprocal ridicule — to promote the interest, literature and the harmony of the United States — is the most ardent wish of the author; and it is his highest ambition to deserve the approbation and encouragement of his countrymen. R U L E S, For placing the accent in words of more syllables than one, and for pronouncing certain terminations. Accent is a stress of voice on some word or letter of a word that distinguishes it from others. If it falls on a vowel, it renders it long as in glory; if it falls on a consonant, the preceding vowel is short; as in habit. Simple dissyllables are generally accended on the first syllable: But there are many exceptions that are not reducible to rules. In the following catalogue, the nouns are accented on the first, and the verbs on the last syllable. Nouns. Verbs. A or an ab’stract To abstract’ ac’cent accent’ af’fix affix’ cem’ent cement’ con’duct conduct’ con’cert concert’ con’fine confine’ con’sort consort’ con’test contest’ con’tract contract’ copn’vert convert’ con’verse converse’ con’vict convict’ col’lect collect’ con’voy convoy’ com’pound compound’ de’sert desert’ des’cant descant’ dis’count discount’ di’gest digest’ ex’port export’ ex’tract extract’ es’say essay’ fer’ment ferment’ fre’quent frequent’ im’port import’ in’cense incense’ in’sult insult’ ob’ject object’ 134 Nouns. Verbs. A or an out’work To outwork’ pre’sent present’ pro’duce produce’ Pro’ject project’ reb’el rebel’ rec’ord record’ ref’use refuse’ sub’ject subject’ sur’vey survey’ tor’ment torment’ trans’fer transfer’ trans’port transport’ u’nite unite’ POLYSYLLABLES. The accent of Polysyllables is determined principally by the final syllable. TERMINATIONS. Words ending in ed, ing, ful, less, ness, est, ist, bly, ly, are generally derived, and have the accent of their primitives; as have most words in ble. Words ending in sive, sion, tion, always have the accent on the last syllable but one. Words ending in cal, sy [except defy] my, ty and fy, generally have the accent on the last syllable but two. In ic. Words ending in ic, are accented on the syllable immediately preceding that termination: as syllabic, republic. Exceptions--Choleric, tumeric, rhetoric, lunatic, splenetic, heretic, politic, arithmetic, are accented on the last syllable but two. In ed. Words ending in ed are the past tenses and participles of verbs; but the letter e is usually omitted in the pronunciation, and the d joined to the preceding syllable; as establish'd. But after t and d the syllable ed is necesarily pronounced; as bated, preceded. In ance. Words ending in ance generally have the accent on the last syllable tu two; as arrogance. Exception 1. When the primative has its accent on the last syllable, the derivative has it on the last but one; as, appearance. Exception 2. When ance is preceded by two consonants, the accent lies on the first of htem; as, discordance. 135 When i precedes ance, it is sometimes taken into the last syllable, and pronounced like y; as valiance, pronounced valyance. But in nouns formed of verbs of verbs ending in y accended, y is changed into i, which retains the accent, and forms a distinct syllable; as compliance, from comply. In ence. Polysyllables in ence have the accent on the last syllable but two; as benevolence. Exception--1st. Words derived retain the accent of their primitives; as adherence, from adhere. 2 When two consonatns precede ence, the accent is on the first; as effulgence; except concupisence. When ence is preceded by ci, they are changed into the sound of sh, and have the accent; as deficiense, pronounced defishence. In cle. Trisyllables in cle have the accent on the first; as miracle, oracle. Words of more than thre syllables, have the accent fart her back: as tabernacle; but recepticle, and perhaps conventicle, should be accented on the second syllable. In dle, fle, gle, kle, ple, tle. Most words that have these terminations are dissyllables, and have the accent on the letter immediately preceding the termination; as cradle, ruffle, eagle, buckle, turtle, &c. Other words have the accent on the first syllable; as principle, participle, &c. In ure. These either follow their primitives; as intermixture, from intermix; or are accened as far back as the third or fourth syllable; as literature, judicature. But legislature is accented on the first and third. In ate. The accent in these words is for the most part on the last syllable but two; as felicitate, hesitate. But when two consonants precede the last syllable, the accent is on the first of them; as consummate. In ive. This termination in words of more syllables than one, is always sounded iv; as motive, pronounced motiv. In tive. Words ending in tive have the accent on the last syllable but two, or farther back; as positive, communicative. But when two consonants precede ive, the first has the accent; as, attentive; except a substantive, which is accented on the first syllable. In ial. This termination is commonly pronounced in one syllable. When preceded by c or t its sound is the same as shal; as judicial, pronounced judishal. The accent of such words is on the last syllable but one