derivatives the accent in E.E. could be shifted from one syllable to another.

Germanic Words. Here "the fluctuations arose from the compound or derivative being felt, now as a single word (with accent usually on the first syllable), now as a group of words, with accent on the most important, which was usually not the first".

Thus we have such varying stresses as mid'night (i. 2. 228), and midnight' (i. 2. 128). So in pronominal, adverbial, and prepositional compounds: without' (v. 1. 271), with out (v. I. 179); in'to (iii. 1. 41), into' (i. 2. 191); where'fore (iii. 1. 76), wherefore' (ii. 1. 299).

In the case of derivatives, e.g. verbs, the stress is generally on the root-word, not the prefix, e.g. outdare', forgive', believe'; but believe (iii. 3. 24), be'come (v. I. 19).

Romance Words. In the M.E. period there was a struggle between the Romance and the English system of accentuation, ending in the triumph of the latter, which threw the accent on the first syllable. But in Mod. E. the influence of Latin has often restored the original accent. Shakespeare's tendency is to accent on the first syllable, but his practice is far from uniform. Thus we find: u'tensils (iii. 2. 91); con'tract (iv. 1. 84), but contract' (ii. 1. 145); sup'portable (v. I. 145), but impor'tune (ii. 1. 122) and oppor'tune (iv. L 26).

(ii) Syllabic Variations. There are three principal cases of syllabic variations: (1) vowel + consonant, (2) vowel + vowel-like (i.e. l, m, n, r), (3) vowel + vowel.

(1) Vowel and Consonant.

A vowel may be lost before a consonant. (a) At the beginning of a word.

This especially affected prefixes, e.g. 'bout for about (i. 2. 220); 'gins for begins (iii. 3. 106). In v. 1. 7: "How fares the king and's followers? (Con)fined | together", the prefix in confined, though written, seems scarcely intended to be pronounced.

The initial vowel is also very commonly lost in unemphatic monosyllables, especially it, e.g. 't is (i. 2. 185), be't (i. 2. 190). (b) At the end of a word.

This belongs chiefly to Shakespeare's later plays, and is especially found in the, e.g.:

Go make thyself like a nymph o' th' sea (i. 2. 301).

But that the sea, mounting to th' welkin's cheek (i. 2. 4).

(c) Within a word.

The unaccented e of the verb and noun inflexions was in

the sixteenth century gradually becoming suppressed, where no sibilant preceded. -es (3rd pers. sing.) is always mute, and -es (plural and gen. sing.) is only occasionally pronounced in some of the earlier plays. Even after a sibilant the -es of the plural and of the gen. sing. is often not pronounced, and is occasionally not written.

Letters should not be known; | rich(es), pov | erty | (ii. 1. 144). The fresh springs, brine- | pits, bar | ren place | and fer | tile (i. 2. 338). Than other prin | cess(es) can ❘ that have more time (i. 2. 170). On the other hand, -es is sounded in achés (see note on i. 2. 370). -est (2nd sing.) and -eth (3rd sing.) are practically always contracted in the later plays, e.g.:

Shrug'st thou, malice?

If thou neglect'st or dost unwillingly (i. 2. 367, 368).

-est in the superlative is often retained, but it is six times contracted in The Tempest.

-ed (past tense and part.) shows much variety, but the contracted form is the commoner.

(d) In the last but one syllable. An unaccented vowel is sometimes lost before a consonant in the middle of a word of more than two syllables, e.g. diligent1 (iii. 1. 42), business (i. 2. 255).

(2) Vowel and Vowel-like. The letters 7, m, n, and r have been given the name of 'vowel-likes', because they can exercise the double function of a vowel or a consonant.

(a) Thus one of these letters by passing from its consonant to its vowel value may form a new syllable. This is much commoner in earlier than in later plays, e.g.:

They vanish'd strangely.2 No matter, since (iii. 3. 40).

(b) By passing from its vowel to its consonant value the vowel-like' may cause the loss of a syllable, e.g.:

brother and yours (v. 1. 12), (brothę | r-and); mis'shapen knave (v. 1. 268), (mis-shape-n(kn)ave); officer and (i. 2. 84), (off-ice-r-and).

Similarly within a word the unaccented vowel often suffers syncope before or after a 'vowel-like', e.g. parallel (i. 2. 74), and popular (i. 2. 92).

'Vowel-likes' underwent a still further reduction analogous

1 A dot under any letter (i) indicates that it is suppressed or slurred.
A circle under a 'vowel-like' (Į) denotes that it has syllabic value.

to the suppression or slurring of vowels. Thus or I could be partially suppressed before a consonant, e.g., i. 2. 304:

And hith | (er) come in't: | go, hence | with diligence!

(c) The 'vowel-like' r often caused a preceding long vowel to become a diphthong out of which two syllables were de veloped. Thus fairly spoke (iv. 1. 31); präyers (i. 1. 46); hour=ow-ǝr (v. 1. 4).

(3) Vowel and Vowel.

Two adjacent vowels may be run into one in the same or in different words.

(a) In different words.

This happens especially when the first word is the or to, e.g. th' event (i. 2. 117), th' afternoon (iii. 2. 83). Here the final vowel is altogether suppressed, but other final vowels rather formed a diphthong with the initial vowel, e.g. How came we ashore? (i. 2. 158).

(b) In the same word.

This is most frequent when the first vowel is i and u, which readily pass into y or w, e.g. consciences (ii. 1. 268); odious (iii. 1. 5). When a stressed vowel is followed by an unstressed the two may have the value of one syllable, e.g. being (i. 2. 72), deity (ii. 1. 268).

(c) Contraction of vowels sometimes accompanies the loss of an intervening consonant.

Thus even in its adverbial sense is a monosyllable in 85 cases out of 100, and is often spelt e'en. (But the adjective even is always two syllables.) So ever and never are often one syllable, and over is so in more than 60 per cent cases. Whether, rather, other, and whither are also often monosyllables.

GLOSSARY