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Of the APOSTROPHE.

TH

HE Apoftrophe is expreffed in this wife (') whereby in fpeaking and writing it is fhewn, that a Vowel is cut off or left out for the more quick pronunciation. It is generally put after articles ending in a Vowel, the next word beginning with another Vowel, or the letter h; as, l'animo, l'ufanza, l'honore.

Note. The i of the article il is apoftroph'd, or cut off after words ending with a Vowel, and not the Vowel of that word; as,

Ditemi 'l voftro nome,

for ditemi il vostro nome, tell me your name.

Tutto 'l mondo sà, for tutto il mondo sà, every body knows.

The pronoun che is abbreviated before words beginning with the letter b, in this wife; viz. che havete, read c'havete.

Mi, ti, ci, fi, vi, di, da, ne, are apoftroph'd before Vowels, or the letter h; as,

M' intendi? do you understand me? for mi
intendi.

Tintendo, I do understand you, for ti intendo.
S'intende, it is understood, for fi intende, &c.

Note. The following Examples will explain the nature of these abbreviations or contractions more fully to the learner.

Al, for, a il, to the.

Ai, a', for, alli, to the.

Bei, be', for, belli, fair, beautiful.

Bell' amante, for, bello amante, a fair lover.

Ch',

Ch', for, che, that, or which.
Coi, co', for, con li or con gli, with the.
Colla, for, conla, with the.

Colle, for, conle, with the.

D', for di, of.

Del, for di il, of the.

De', dei, for delli or degli, of the, pl.
Ei, e', for egli, he, or, it.

E'l, for & il, and it, and the.
Fra', for, fra li, among the.
Fé, for fece, he did, or, made.
Fe, for fede, faith.

Fofs Io, for, foffi Io, were I.
Gl', for, gli, the.

Huomin' da bene, for huomini da bene, honeft men.
Huomin' ingrati, for huomini ingrati, ungrateful

men.

Lo'mperatore, for, lo Imperatore, the Emperor. Lo'nventore, for, lo inventore, the inventor. Madonna, for, mía donna, my woman. Madonna, the Virgin Mary,

Me' for meglio, better.

Me'l, for a me il, to meet it.

Mie', for miei, mine.

Molt' anni, for molti anni, many years.

Nel, for, in li, in the.

Ne'l, for, ne il, nor the, or, for it.

No'l, for, non il,

not the.

Nollo, for, non lo, not the.

Pel, for, per il, or per lo, or the, or through the.

Pel, for, per lo, idem.

Puo, for puoi, theu canft.

Quei, for quelli, thofe

Quai, for quali, which.

Quand il, for quando il, when the.

Sant,

Sant' Antonio, for Santo Antonio.
Suo', for fuoi, his.

Se', for fei, thou art.

Se'l, for, a fe il, to himself it, or, if it.
Su'l, for, fopra il,

upon the.

Tra', for tra li, among the.

Te'l, for a te il, to thee, it.

Tuo', for tuoi, thine.

Tu'l, for tu il, thou it.

Tra'l, for, tra il, betwixt the.

T

Of the ACCENTS.

HE Italians have two Accents, which denote the fyllables to be pronounced long or fhort, as in other languages.

The one Grave [] the other Acute ['] expreffed each by these oppofite marks.

Nouns ending in tà in Italian, which are generally derived from tas in the Latin, have a Grave Accent; as, purità, caftità, maestà, &c. And note, the plural of these words do not change, but end in tà alfo; except vifita, which is not accented, and makes its plural visite.

Nouns derived from the Latin in us, and end in Italian in u, have a Grave Accent; as, virtus, la virtù, le virtù, &c.

The Grave Accent is put to the end of verbs of the first and third perfon of the Future Tense; as, canterò I fhall fing, canterà he will fing. It is alfo ufed on Verbs of one fyllable, ending in o and 4, and other words, as may be feen by the fol

0

lowing,

lowing, which are always expreffed by a Grave

Accent.

Amd, Hove. He loved Ne, neither, or nor.

Ciò, that.
Coft, there.
Coftà, thither.
Dà, he giveth.

Dò, I give.
Dì, a day.
è, is.

Europa, Europe.
Eufrate, Euphrates.
Fa, he doth, or makes.
Fò, I do, or make.
Fù, hath been.
Frà, betwixt, also a
contract, or abbrevi-
ation, of Frate a
Fryer.

Già, formerly, or now.
Giesù, Jefus.
Grù, a crane.

Giù, down, below.

Hà, he hath.

Hồ, I have.

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No, not. ò, or. Oibò, fie.

Perchè? becaufe, why,

or wherefore.

Perciò, wherefore.
Però, therefore, yet.
Più, more.
Pie, a foot, or feet.
Podestà, a Governor.
Può, he can, or is a-
ble.
Quà, hither.
Quì, here.

Re, a King, or Kings. Stà, he ftands, dwells, or is.

Stò, I ftand, or am, or dwell.

Sà, he knows.

Sè, himself.

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Note, 1. When the Pronoun is put after the Verb, no Accent is ufed; as, farollo, for lo farò I hall do it; moftremmi, for mi mostrò he will shew

me.

2. When the first person of the Definite Tense ends with two Vowels, the third perfon of the fame tenfe is accented, but not otherwife; as, amò he loved, crede he believed, the firft perfons of which are amai, credei. For this reafon, vinfe, prese, are not accented, making in the first perfon vinfi, prefi.

The Acute Accent is ufed on the laft fyllable but one of words ending in ia and io; as, pazzia folly, profezia prophecy, desio defire, &c. And alfo on words that have a double fignification; tenére to hold, is by the Accent diftinguished from tenere tender; ancora ftill, from ancora an anchor.

as,

Note. This Rule is attended with so many uncertainties, that it is difficult to give certain Examples for the Reader's inftruction; Practice in reading, and a good Master, will be the best guide.

Of

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