the quantity of Greek words cannot be properly understood without the knowledge of Greek.

In English a vowel before another is also sometimes lengthened; as, fcience, idea.

2. A vowel before two confonants, or before a double confonant, is long, (by pofition, as it is called ;) as,

ārma, fällo, āxis, gāza, mājor; the compounds of jugum excepted; as, bijŭgus, quadrijŭgus, &c.

When the foregoing word ends in a fhort vowel, and the following begins with two confonants or a double one, that vowel is fometimes lengthened by pofition; as,

Ferte citi flammas, date vela, feandite muros, Virg.

But this rarely occurs.

¶ A vowel before a mute and a liquid is common; as the middle fyllable in volucris, tenebræ, thus,

Et primò fimilis volucri, mox vera volucris, Ovid.

Nox tenebras profert, Phœbus fugat inde tenebras, Id. But in profe thefe words are pronounced fhort. So peragro, pharetra, podagra, chiragra, celebris, latebræ, &c.

To make this rule hold, three things are requifite. The vowel must be naturally short, the mute must go before the liquid, and be in the fame fyllable with it. Thus, a in patris is made common in verfe, because a in pater is naturally fhort, or always fo by cultom: but a in matris, acris, is always long, because long by nature or cuftom in mater and acer. In like manner the penult in falubris, ambulacrum, is always long; because they are derived from falus, falutis, and ambulatum. So a in arte, abluo, &c. is long by pofition, because the mute and the liquid are in different fyllables.

L and r only are confidered as liquids in Latin words; m and n do not take place except in Greek words.

3. A contracted fyllable is long; as,

Nil, for nihil; mî, for mihi; cogo, for coǎgo; alīus, for aliius; tibicen, for tibiicen; ît, for iit; sōdes, for fi audes: nolo, for non volo; bigæ, for bijugæ, &c.

4. A diphthong is always long; as,

Aurum, Cæfar, Eubæa, &c. Only pre in compofition before a vowel is commonly short; as, præire, præuftus; thus,

Nec totâ tamen ille prior præunte carinâ. Virg.
Stipitibus duris agitur fudibufque præuftis. Id.

But it is fometimes lengthened; as,

cum vacuus domino præiret Arion. Statius.

In English we pronounce feveral of the diphthongs fhort, by finking the found of one vowel; but then there is properly no diphthong.

SPECIAL RULES.

Concerning the FIRST and MIDDLE SYLLABLES.

Preterites and Supines of two Syllables.

5. Preterites of two fyllables lengthen the former fyllable; as, Veni, vidi, vici.

Except bibi, scidi, from scindo, fidi from findo, tăli, dědi, flěti.

6. Supines of two fyllables lengthen the former fyllable; as, Vifum, cafum, mōtum

Except sătum, from sero; citum, from cieo; litum, from lino; situm, from sino; flatum, from fifto; itum, from eo; datum, from do; rútum, from the compounds of ruo; quitum, from queo; rătus, from rear.

Preterites doubled.

7. Preterites which double the firft fyllable, have both the first fyllables fhort; as,

Cěcĭdi, tětĭgi, pěpůli, pěpěri, didĭci, tůtůdi: except cěcidi, from cœdo; pěpēdi, from pedo; and when two confonants intervene; as, fefelli, tětendi, &c.

INCREASE OF NOUNS.

A noun is faid to increase, when it has more fyllables in any of the oblique cafes than in the nominative; as, rex, rēgis. Here re is called the increase or crement, and fo through all the other cafes. The last fyllable is never esteemed a crement.

Some nouns have a double incrcafe, that is, increase by more fyllables than one; as, iter, itineris.

A noun in the plural is faid to increase, when in any cafe it has more fyllables than the genitive fingular; as, gener, genĕri, generōrum, Nouns of the firft, fourth, and fifth declenfions, do not increase in the fingular number, unless where one vowel comes before another; as, fructus, fru&tui; res, rei; which fall under Rule 1.

Third Declenfion.

8. Nouns of the third declenfion which increase, make a and o long; e, i, and u fhort; as, Pietatis, honōris; mulieris, lapidis, murmŭris.

The chief exceptions from this rule are marked under the formation of the genitive in the third declenfion. But here perhaps it may be proper to be more particular.

1 A.

A noun in A fhortens atis in the genitive; as, dogm3, -ätis, poema, -ǎtis.

0.

O shortens šeis, but lengthens ēnis and ōnis; as, Cardo, -inis, Virgo, -inis; Axio, -ēnis; Cicero, -ōnis. Gentile or patrial nouns vary their quantity. Most of them fhorten the genitive; as, Macedo, -onis; Saxo, -õnis: Some are long; as, Sueffiones, Vettōnes. Brittones, is common.

I. C. D.

I shortens itis; as, Hydroměli, -itis. Ec lengthens -eris; as, Halec› Ecis.

A noun in D shortens the crement; as, David, -idis.

L.

Masculines in AL fhorten älis; as, Sal, sălis; Mannibal, -ălis ; Hafdrubal, -ălis; but neuters lengthen it; as, animal, -ālis.

Solis from fol long; alfo Hebrew words in el; as, Michael, -èlis• Other nouns in / fhorten the crement; as, Vigil, -ilis; conful, -ŭlis.

N.

Nouns in ON vary the crement. Some lengthen it; as, Helicon, -ōnis; Chiron, -ōnis. Some horten it; as, Memnon, -onis; Acteon, -onis.

EN shortens inis; as, flumen, -ĭnis ; tibīcen, -ĭnis. Other nouns in N lengthen the penult. AN anis; as, Titan, -ānis: EN ēnis; as, Si ren, -inis; IN inis; as, delphin, -înis : YN jnis ; as, Pborcyn, -ŷnis.

R.

1. Neuters in AR lengthen aris; as, calcar, -āris. Except the following, bacckar, ·ăris; jubar, ·ăris; nectar, -äris: Alfo the adjective par, păris, and its compounds, impar, -ăris; difpar, -ăris, &c.

2. The following nouns in R lengthen the genitive, Nar, Nāris, the name of a river; fur, füris; ver, vēris : Alfo Recimer, -éris; Byzer, -ēris; Ser, Seris; Iber, -ēris, proper names.

3. Greek nouns in TER lengthen teris; as, crater, ⚫ēris; character, eris. Except æther, -ĕris.

4. OR lengthens oris; as, amor, -ōris. Except neuter nouns; as, marmor, -õris; æquor, -õris: Greek nouns in tor; as, Hector, ŏris; Actor, -ŏris; rhetor, -Ŏris : Alfo arbor, -ŏris; and memor, oris.

5. Other nouns in R fhorten the genitive; AR aris, mafc.; as, Cæfar, -ăris; Hamilcar, -ăris; lar, lăris.

T

ER eris of any gender; as, aer, aĕris; mulier, -ĕris; cadaver, -čris; iter, anciently itiner, itineris ; verbĕris, from the obfolete verber. UR uris; as, vultur, -ŭris ; murmur, -uris. YR yris; as, Martyr, žris.

A S.

1. Nouns in AS which have atis, lengthen the crement; as, pietas, -ātis; Macēnas, ātis. Except anas, -ătis.

2. Other nouns in AS fhorten the crement; as, Greek nouns in ădis, ătis, and ănis; thus, Pallas, -ădis; artocreas, -eătis; Melas, anis, the name of a river. So vas, vădis; mas, măris: But vas, vāfis, is long.

E S.

ES fhortens the crement; as, miles, -itis; Ceres, ·ĕris ; pes, pedis.

Except locuples, ētis ; quies, -ētis; manfues, -ētis, hæres, edis; merces, ēdis.

I S.

Nouns in IS fhorten the crement; as, lapis, -idis; Sanguis, inis; Phyllis, -idis.

Except Glis, gliris; and Latin nouns which have itis; as, lis, litis; dis, ditis; Quiris, itis; Samnis, -itis: But Charis, a Greek noun, has Charitis.

The following also lengthen the crement: Crenis, -īdis ; Pfophis, dis; Nefis, idis, proper names. And Greek nouns in is, which have alfo in; as, Salămis, or -in, Salaminis.

O S.

Nouns in OS lengthen the crement; as, nepos, -ōtis ; flos, floris.

Except Bos, bovis; compos, -ătis; impos, -õtis.

U S.

US fhortens the crement; as, tempus, -õris; tripus, -ŏdis. Except nouns which have ūdis, ūris, and ūtis ; as, incus, udis; jus, jūris; falus, utis. But Ligus has Liguris; the obfolete pecus, pecudis; and intercus, -utis.

The neuter of the comparative has ōris; as, melius,

.ōris.

Y S.

YS fhortens ydis or ydos; as, chlamys, -ždis, or -ÿdos : and lengthens ynis; as, Trachys, -ynis.

BS. PS. MS.

Nouns in S with a confonant going before, fhorten the penult of the genitive; as, cælebs, -ibis; inops, -opis; hiems, -ĕmis.

Except Cyclops, -opis; feps, sēpis; gryps, gryphis; Cercops, -opis; plebs, plebis; hydrops, -õpis.

T.

Tfhortens the crement; as, caput, -itis.

X.

1. Nouns in X which have the genitive in gis, fhorten the crement; as, conjux, -ŭgis ; remex, igis; Allobrox, -õgis ; Phryx, Phrygis. But lex, légis; and rex, rēgis, are long; and likewife frugis.

2. EX fhortens icis; as, vertex, -icis; except vibex, -icis. 3. Other nouns in X lengthen the crement; as, pax, pācis; radix, -īcis ; vox, võcis ; lux, lūcis; Pollux, -ūcis, Sc.

Except facis, necis, vīcis, précis, calicis, cilicis, picis, fornicis, nivis, Cappadocis, ducis, nucis, crucis, trūcis, onỹchis, Eržcis, maflyx, -ychis, the rosin of the lentifcus, or maftich-tree, and many others, whofe quantity can only be afeertained by authority.

4. Some nouns vary the crement; as, Syphax, -ācis, œ -ăcis; Sandyx, -icis, or -itis; Bebryx, -žcis, or -ÿcis.

Increafe of the Plural Number.

9 Nouns of the plural number which increase, makc A, E, and 0, long; but shorten I, and U; as,

musārum, rērum, dominērum; rēgibus, portubus: except bōbus or būbus, contracted for bovibus.

INCREASE OF VERBS.

A verb is faid to increase, when any part has more syllables than the fecond perfon fingular of the prefent of the indicative active; as, amas, amāmus, where the second fyllable ma is the increase or crement; for the laft fyllable is never called by that name.

A verb often increafes by feveral fyllables; as, amas, amābāmīni ; in which cafe it is faid to have a firft, fecond, or third increase.

10. In the increase of verbs, a, e, and o are long; i, and u, fhort; as,

Amare, docere, amatōte; legimus, sumus, volůmus.