Final.-Achieve, eve, thieve, weave, bereave, live, sieve, forgive, save, grave, behave, wave, have, carve, salve, halve, serve, nerve, love, curve, above, dove, wove, throve, stove, drove, grove, five, wive, shrive, drive, rive, hive, missive, votive.

Th.

OBSERVATIONS.-This articulation is that which gives the most forward action to the tongue, the front edge of which rests equally and lightly on the inner surface of the upper teeth, while the breath escapes over the sides of the forepart of the tongue. The breath must not be obstructed, or a thick and indistinct T will be produced. The necessary mechanism of the kind of sound heard in Th is simply obstruction of the breath by the tip of the tongue, and a lateral passage for the breath (on one side or both sides) over the fore-part of the tongue. The tongue may lie either between the teeth,-upon the upper teeth,—on the gum, or even on the rim of the palatal arch; and Th will be produced if the issue of the breath be in the way described.

The second of these is the proper formation, as it is that which most readily combines with other lingual movements. The first formation,—namely, the placing of the tongue between the teeth,-is a very common mode of untutored articulation; and frequently the "unruly member" is fulsomely protruded, as if lapping the air. School-boys have a way,—often a painful one,—of curing this vice, by striking the chin upwards, and making the teeth bite the obtrusive member. Yet the number of speakers who continue thus to thrust their tongues into unnecessary observation, shows that the biting specific is either not very generally adopted, or not of permanent efficacy; and the adult organ often rolls in luxurious ease upon the dental pillows, and stretches itself out even to the softer lip, as if rejoicing in full-grown security from the terrors of" chinwhack."

Another faulty formation of Th consists in an inward movement of the lower lip to meet the tongue. This gives so much of the character of F to the articution, that it is often difficult to know which is the letter intended. F and Th are mechanically much alike. The action of the lip for F is precisely analogous to that of the tongue for Th. Both organs partially obstruct the breath by central contact with the teeth; and the breath is in both cases emitted through lateral interstices. The following Exercise on the actions of F and Th will be found useful in imparting articulative energy, and in giving a distinctiveness to these elements which is seldom possessed intuitively.

Pronounce not the name, but—the articulate sound of the letters F and Th, without an intervening vowel. Dwell for some seconds on the F, keeping the whole range of the upper teeth in sight, then quickly disengage the articulating lip, and place the tongue in the position for th, resting in this position with both ranges of teeth in sight for a few seconds; and then withdraw the tongue cner

getically, and assume the position for F, as before: and so on alternately, till the actions can be reiterated with rapidity,-f-th-f-th-f-th-f-th-f-th-f-th, &c.

The vowels may then be placed before and after the combination; and the two syllables so formed should be pronounced with natural rapidity and perfect distinctness. Thus, af-tha, ef-the, if-thi, &c.; and, conversely, ath-fa, eth-fe, &c.

Th is sometimes sounded instead of s: this constitutes one form of what is called Lisping. Combinations of th and s present an articulative difficulty which should be mastered by careful practice. Exercises will be found under the head of S.

Th is not heard in French: the digraph is written, but it is pronounced t. Frenchmen have so great a difficulty in articulating the English Th, that it is a rare thing to find one of them so far naturalized to the English tongue as to be capable of uttering this shibboleth. The difficulty arises only from ignorance of the nature of the formation; just as the Englishman's difficulty in giving the Gallic effect to the French semi-nasal elements is the result of a want of knowledge of the true mechanism of the sounds. A clear understanding of the formation of the peculiar elements would make their production the work of half an hour's practice.

A Breath form of L is a common substitution for Th among children; and even older tongues will sometimes be found to utter the cacophony. Nothing can be more simple than the cause of this error, and the means of its correction.

To the Stammerer Th presents another source of impediment besides those already noticed. This lies in the action of the tongue. The heavy conjunctive force of the articulative action, impels the tongue with unmanageable pressure against the teeth, till it is either protruded from the mouth, or rolled up behind the lower teeth, so as to occasion a complete blockade. The mere occlusion of the mouth would not necessarily lead to difficulty, for many of the articulations are perfectly obstructive; but continued pressure creates impediment. The organs must in all cases start off from their articulating positions with rapidity and energy. The tongue in forming Th, for instance, takes its articulative position against the teeth, as above described; but its articulative action, without which the element is incomplete, is a smart recoil of the tongue, so as perfectly to separate it from the teeth.

It is an important general principle of lingual articulation, that the point of the tongue should always be directed upwards, or at least horizontally. It should never touch the lower teeth :—it should never descend into the lower jaw. In practising its recoil from the various articulating positions to lighten a heavy impedimental action, the movements should be carefully watched before a glass ; and if the string of the tongue (the frænum) be always kept in sight, the protrusive and downward habits of heavy action will soon be subdued. The muscular power of the tongue may be so greatly increased by exercise, and brought under the power of volition, that the Stammerer will hesitate to call it, in a mechanical sense, an 66 unruly member." We have often, in a few days drilled into activity and precision of action, a tongue which formerly lay lumpish and inert in the mouth; and, by the power of well directed exercise alone, we have so

reduced its apparent butk, that whereas at first it seemed altogether disproportioned to the mouth, it has learned to stow itself within the ample cavity, almost out of sight. Very rarely does the heaviest and hugest looking tongue, need more than such a drilling to give it nimbleness and tapering elegance. When the formation of Th is from any cause imperfect, let the following means of practice be pursued. Place the tongue carefully in the articulating position, and continue it steadily there, the breath flowing all the time, for some seconds: then quickly withdraw it, by one action as far back and down in the mouth as possible, keeping its under surface in sight. The finger may be placed at the angle of the neck and chin, and the descent of the tongue will be distinctly felt, when it is effectively managed. In this way let the syllables

eeth, ith, aith, eth, ath, ath, arth, earth, urth, Sawrth, ourth, oth, ooth, Toth,

and words ending with th be practised. Then th before vowels: the tongue resting steadily for an instant against the teeth, and the succeeding vowel being enounced with explosive fulness. Lastly, Th before w, r, and y, should receive a special exercise, in the same way, the tongue retreating with rapidity and a forcible propulsion of the breath, after resting for an instant in the articulating position. In a short time,-short in proportion to the energy and amount of practice, this articulation will be perfectly mastered; and not only it, but lingual power will be so developed, that all the elements produced by the agency of the tongue will be greatly improved.

Th, though a double character, is a simple articulation, and should be represented by a single letter in the alphabet. HI, the sign of aspiration, is added to P, to represent a continuous formation by the lips, viz. F: it is added to T and S, to represent continuous formations by the tongue, viz. Th and Sh: and in some languages, we find other combinations with h. In Gaelic, for instance, Bh and Mh sound V; but the latter has this peculiarity, that it gives a nasal effect to the adjoining vowel.

The vowels exhibit a tendency to prolongation when before this element; for the articulation being continuous, and its seat far advanced in the mouth, the vowels cannot be so readily stopped by it as by obstructive and posterior formations.

Th initial unites in English with w, r, and y, as in thwart, throne, thurible. It blends with no initial articulation. It is often found in combinations where its proper articulation requires some little art; as in heaths, healthful, eighths, ninths, sixthly, twelfths, depths, widths, lengthwise, &c.

EXERCISES ON TH.

Initial.-Thank, tharm, thatch, thaumatrope, thaw, theatre, theism, theme, theocracy, theory, theriac, thermal, thesis, theurgy, thick, thief, thieve, thigh, thimble, thill, thin, thing, think, third, thirst, thirteen, thirty, thistle, thong, thorax, thorn, thought, thousand, thumb, thump, thunder, Thursday, thyroid, thyrse.

Thw.—Thwack, thwart, thwitten, thwaite, thwittle.

Thr.-Thrall, thrash, thrasonical, thread, threat, three, threshold, threw, thrice, thrive, thrift, thrill, through, throat, throb, throe, throve, throng, throttle, throstle, throw, thrum, thrush, thrust.

Thy.—Thew, thurable, thuriferous, thurification, enthusiasm. Between Vowels.-Ether, pithy, mythology, cithern, lithograph, lithic, lithophyte, bathos, pathos, mathematics, lathy, mothy, frothy, nothing, toothache, ethics, atheist, catholic, dithyramb, method, plethora, apothecary, spathic, rhythm, logarithm, lethal, lethargy.

Before an articulation.-Ethnic, ethmoid, ethnology, athletic, athwart, deathful, deathwatch, deathlike, earthly, earthquake, earthworm, faithful, scathless, pathless, pathway, plethrum, truthful, ruthless, sheath-winged, slothful, worthless, months, girths, moths, (truths, cloths.*)

Final.—Sheath, teeth, wreath, heath; pith, plinth, frith, sith, faith; saith, death, health, wealth, stealth; hath; path, bath, lath; birth, mirth, earth, dearth, girth; doth, worth; broth, cloth, moth, froth, wrath; oath, both, loth; sooth, tooth, truth, ruth; mouth, south.

Th, (VOCAL.)

OBSERVATIONS.-This is the same articulation as the preceding, but with the addition of vocality during its formation. There is no distinction made in our Orthography of these elements, but the difference between their sounds is the same as between F and V, P and B, &c. Thus not only is our alphabet deficient of simple characters to represent this and the preceding element, but we confound the two, by using for both the same digraph. To be consistent we should write this sound Dh.

Our remarks on the formation of Th (breath), and on the difficulties and peculiarities of its articulation, equally apply to this vocal Th; and the same sort of praxis recommended for the former will, with voice added, be found effective for the correction of faults in the latter. In prolonging this element, the voice should be heard, not in abrupt jets, but in one unbroken flow: from the interstitial nature of the apertures through which the breath passes, a degree of hissing will at the same time be produced. The retraction of the

* These two words are often pronounced with th vocal=clothz, truthz.

tongue which finishes the articulation should not be followed by any effort of voice, the sound must cease at the instant of lingual separation. This is a general principle of articulation; for, if a vocal sound escape after the articulating organs are disjoined, it must evidently be a vowel; and such an addition,—by no means uncommon,-gives a drawling, humming and hawing" effect to

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speech, which fidgets the listener into impatience.

Custom has vocalized the th in the plural of a few words which have its breath-form in the singular: as in path-paths, oath—oaths, mouth-—mouths, bath—baths, lath-laths. The reason of this change does not seem very obvious; for it is just as easy to pronounce ths in these cases as thz. A similar change, however, takes place in F, which is vocalized from calf to calves, loaf to loaves, &c. We have explained the analogy between the mechanisms of F and Th, (page 145,) which may account for these elements being thus correspondently influenced.

EXERCISES.

Initial.-Than, that, those, the, thee, their, them, then, thence, there, these, they, thine, this, thither, though, thou, thus, thy, thyine.

Between vowels.-Wither, whither, thither, hither, heathen, either, teething, bathing, tether, nether, leather, heather, lather, fathom, gather, rather, father, mother, t'other, other, fother, bother, southern, clothing, loatheth, soothing, mouthing, writhing.

Before an articulation.—Litheness, lithesome, blithely, blitheness, blithesome, loathsome, clothes, wreaths, lathes, baths, booths, mouths, paths, oaths, sheathed, loathed, bathed, writhed, mouthed, swathed, smoothed.

Final.-Seethe, sheath, teeth, (v.) neath, beneath, wreathe, with; bathe, lathe, spathe, swathe; loathe, clothe; booth, soothe, smooth; withe, scythe, tithe, writhe, lithe; mouth, (v.)

S.

OBSERVATIONS.-The peculiar mechanism requisite to produce the clear hissing sound heard in this letter, is a single and very contracted aperture for the emission of the breath over the centre of the fore-part (not the tip) of the tongue, when, without much elevation from the bed of the lower jaw, it is closely approximated to the upper gum. The tongue is otherwise in contact with the teeth and gum, so as to obstruct the breath at all parts but the point, which is sufficiently squared to prevent its touching the front teeth. The slightest projection of the tip brings it against the teeth, and, by partially

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