CHAPTER VI.

OF VOWEL SOUNDS.

140. I HAVE said that the earliest and most generally-received Vocal tube. distinction of articulate sounds is into Vowels and Consonants; but as these terms, when used substantively (as they generally are by grammarians), signify the respective classes of letters, I shall here employ them to signify not letters, but sounds, and make use of them only in an adjectival form, dividing articulations into vowel articulations, or vowel sounds, and consonantal articulations, or consonantal sounds. In the animated hymn on Christ's Nativity, which, at an early age gave proof of Milton's high vocation as a poet, there occur two lines, which, by a striking analogy, illustrate the production of vowel articulations, and their difference from the consonantal. "The oracles," says the young bard,

are dumb,

No voice or hideous hum

Runs through the arched roof.

Now, when the human breath "runs through" the vocal tube, or
cavity of the mouth above described, it may be likened to a current
of air running through "the arched roof" of a lofty hall or gallery.
If, when it issues from the glottis, the fibres of that organ approxi-
mating together are in a state of tremulous vibration, the breath
becomes a 66
Voice;" if they are quiescent, and wide apart, it utters
only a
"Hum." And as, according to the form of the arch and
walls of the building, the air, though it meet with no impediment in
its course, yet yields different echoes; so, according to the form of
the space between the tongue, and the fauces, palate, teeth, or lips,
the voice, though unimpeded, produces a diversity of sounds. Such
is the origin of the different vowel sounds, or vowel articulations.
But if the breath be impeded, as for instance by a closing of the lips,
or by a tremulous motion of the tongue, or if it be turned partially
toward the nostrils, the effect is similar to what would happen in the
supposed building, if the air should encounter the obstacle of a door, or
fluttering curtain, or be forced to escape through a side window; and
it is by such impediments that the consonantal sounds, or consonantal
articulations, are produced. To the vowel sounds M. COURT DE
GEBELIN'S expressions are peculiarly applicable. He says the voice

Distinction

of articulate sounds.

at one time expand- itself majestically in a vast palace, and at another time is compressed between two planes which scarcely leave

it a free passage. 991 But the analogy between the vocal tube and an architectural edifice, however striking in some points, is inapplicable in others; for, in the first place, the form of the arched roof remains unchanged, whilst that of the vocal tube is undergoing perpetual variation by the movement of the tongue in all directions; and secondly, the roof simply reflects the sonorous air which it has received, whilst the oral organs contribute largely to the vocal character of the sound: for, as Mr. Bishop remarks, "if we attentively examine what takes place whilst the organs change from one vowel sound to another, we can easily detect different parts of the membranous lining of the pharynx, tongue, lips, and other soft textures of the mouth, forced into vibratory motion, attended with a variety of configurations; and these different motions and vibrations may, by disposing different membranous surfaces to a state of vibration coexisting with that of the glottis, determine the quality peculiar to the several vowel sounds." On this theory, to which I fully subscribe, every vowel sound requires the concurrent operation of two sets of muscular fibres, those of the glottis, and those of some portion of the vocal tube. We see, therefore, that the living organization possesses requisites for the production and ready use of articulate sounds, which no effort of architectural, or probably of any other mechanical skill, can fully attain.

66

995

141. In stating that the main distinction of articulate sounds is into vowel and consonantal, and that these are respectively produced in the manner above described, the majority both of anatomists and grammarians agree. "Vowels," says HALLER, are solely formed by a greater or less opening of the mouth." "It is the common character of consonants to be produced by the collision of the tongue or other parts of the mouth."4 So, Bishop WILKINS says: "Those letters are called vocales, vowels, in pronouncing of which by the instruments of speech the breath is freely emitted." "Those letters are styled consonants in the pronouncing of which the breath is intercepted, by some collision or closure amongst the instruments of speech." It is of importance, in glossological pursuits, that the one class of articulations should not be confounded with the other. As we should remember that the sound of the voice is generated at the glottis, and neither above nor below this point,"7 so we should remember that whenever that sound passes on freely and without interruption throughout the vocal tube, the modification of it produced by the articulating

1 Monde Primitif, vol. iii. p. 93.

8 Vocales unicè aperturâ oris majori

iv. p. 362.

2 Articulate Sounds, p. 28.

et minori formantur.-Elem. Physiol.

* Consonantibus commune est ab allisu linguæ aut aliarum partium oris generari.-Elem. Physiol. iv. p. 465.

5 Real Character, p. 363.

Ibid. p. 363.

7 Müller, Elem. Physiol. 1023.

organs is a vowel articulation, and whenever it is impeded by a collision
of those organs, it is then, and then only, a consonantal articulation.
It is true, that in some consonantal articulations, the impediment is so
slight, that the passage of the breath is left almost open; as in our v,
which is the German w, and the Romaic B. And in some vowel
articulations the free passage of the air is so brief, that they approach
in effect to consonantal articulations; as in our initial y, which is the
German j. Hence, we see the justice of Quintilian's remark, that even
in vowels it is the duty of the grammarian to consider whether custom
may not have received some of them for consonants, since jam is
written as tam is." "Observe," says Volney, "that Quintilian does
not say that j is a consonant; but only that usage had allotted to it
the function of a consonant, by pronouncing jam in one syllable, as it
does tam."
This, however, will be more fully considered, when I
come to examine the respective articulations in detail.

of vowel

142. To begin with the vowel articulations.—It is not surprising Number that their number should be so differently estimated, as I have above sounds. shown it to be by different authors. Mr. Bishop justly remarks, that “those who have not studied the subject can have little idea of the nice distinctions by which the vowel powers are separated." The reason is, that they are not separated by any natural limits. "I do not deny (says Wallis) that in each part of the organs producing vowel sounds, certain intermediate sounds may be produced; for the measure of the (oral) aperture is of the nature of continuous quantity, and therefore divisible in infinitum." Nor is this all every articulate sound requires for its production, not only a certain form of the "oral aperture, and, indeed, of the whole vocal tube, but a certain action, as I have above shown, of the muscular fibres both of the tongue and other organs; and as neither the form nor the action is reducible to any fixed scale of measurement, all positive gradations in the distinction of articulate sounds by the human voice must be impracticable.* Messrs. WILLIS, DE KEMPELEN, and others, have, indeed, produced different vowel sounds (or something like them) by a measurable apparatus; but the results of these artificial means can hardly rival the delicate and almost imperceptible shades of sound, which are to be found in human articulation. In this view, therefore, the estimated number of vowel sounds may be as great, or as small, as the practice of any nation, or the theory of any private individual, may determine. The celebrated

1 Etiam in ipsis vocalibus, Grammatici est videre, an aliquas pro consonantibus usus acceperit; quia jam sicut tam scribitur.-Inst. Or. i. 4.

2 Alfabet Europ. p. 55.

3 Non nego, in quâlibet vocalium sede posse sonos quosdam intermedios efferriest enim aperturæ mensura, instar quantitatis continuæ, divisibilis in infinitum.— Gram. Angl. p. 12.

4 It must be remembered that vowel sounds are not fixed and definite sounds, but that they gradually glide into each other.-Proc. Ch. Miss. Soc. 1848-9, cxcviii, -In allen Sprachen sind die Vocale nur stufenweise von einander unterschieden.Adelung. Wörterb. p. 3.

GRIMM founds his system on the narrow basis of what he call an organic Triad. Assuming, that the short vowels were the original element of speech, he proceeds thus: "The organic Triad of the short vowels is pronounced A, I, U; or to arrange them more properly, so that out of A, as the source and middlemost of all vowel sounds, may spring, on one side the lowest point U, and on the other the highest peak I, it may be represented thus :

A

U

From the break between A and I is formed E, and from that between A and U, O is produced, which completes the scheme thus :

E and I are the high and clear vowels, O and U the low and obscure ones, the middle place between them being held by A; which pronounced incorrectly in the one case degenerates into å, and in the other into a. The three original vowels, A, I, U, only are capable of a break, the intermediate ones, E and O, being not susceptible of any further variation." Here I must at once say, that greatly as I admire the mental activity and indefatigable perseverance of Professor Grimm, and deeply indebted as I consider the science of Glossology to be to his valuable works, I must entirely dissent from the fundamental principle of his vocalisms. It not only does not pretend to rest on any anatomical research; but, as appears to me, it is inconsistent with the structure and power of the vocal organs. Professor SCHMITTHENNER, indeed, who agrees with Grimm as to the number of primary or original vowels, asserts it, as a natural fact in language, that there can be only three original vowels, owing to the form of the Epiglottis ; but this (as I am assured by very able anatomists) must be erroneous; for the whole of the Epiglottis may be removed, without affecting the pronunciation. In favour of the division of vowel articulations by the

1 Die organische dreiheit der kurzen vocale lautet A I U; oder um sie richtiger auszufassen, so dass aus den A, als der quelle und mitte, aller vocallaute, einerseits der tiefpunct U, and erseits der höchste gipfei I, entspringt I A U: was noch sinnA licher dargestellt ist, Aus der brechung zwischen A und I wird E

.

A

zwischen A und U wird O; und das verhältniss erfullt sich E O E und I I U

sind die hohen, hellen, O und U die tiefen dunkeln vocale; zwischen A die mitte hält, unrein gesprochen dort in ä, hier in å ausweicht. Nur die drei grundvocale A IU sind brechbar, die gebrochnen E und O keiner neuen brechung fähig.— Deut. Gram. i. 33.

number seven, it has been argued that this results from the same cause which produces the seven notes of the Gamut;' but though the vowel sounds of several languages, and of our own in particular, may be conveniently so distributed, it is for a very different reason. The musical notes are caused by the vibrations of the glottis; the articulate by those of the vocal tube.

The scheme of our distinguished countryman, WALLIS, who adopts nine as the number of vowels, appears at first sight one of the simplest. "I judge" (says he) "that they may be distinguished into three classes, gutturals, palatines, and labials, according as they are respectively formed in the throat, the palate, or the lips. In all they are nine, viz.: three in the throat, three in the palate, and three in the lips, according as they are accompanied, in each case, with a greater, middling, or less opening of the mouth. How far I dissent from this view of the subject will be seen hereafter. The most recent arrangement is that of Mr. BISHOP, in his able treatise on 'Articulate Sounds,' above referred to. Having observed that Sir John Herschel considers thirteen vowels to be essentially necessary for the expression of the English language, Mr. Bishop says, that among the examples given of those thirteen, several admit of considerable doubt and he finally concludes, that "in the English language there are ten distinct vowel sounds," of which he presents the following diagram:

Mr. BELL, in a treatise (also very recent) on

The Principles of Speech and Elocution,' adopts the number thirteen, in the following

table of English vowels :

143. Estimates so different of the number of vowel sounds must Longs and have proceeded on different views of their qualities. Hence they

1 Court de Gebelin, vol. iii. p. 112.

2 Ego illas omnes in tres omninò classes distinguindas esse judico, Gutturales, Palatinas, et Labiales, prout in gutture, palato, aut labiis formantur-omnino Novem esse, tres in gutture, tres in palato, et in labiis totidem, pro triplici nimirum in singulis sedibus oris aperturâ majori, mediocri, minori.-Gram. p. 5. Articulate Sounds, p. 12 4 Ibid., p. 18.

shorts.

LG.]

H