A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels Volume Xv Part 7

LANGUAGE OF THE SOCIETY ISLES.

DIRECTIONS

_For the p.r.o.nunciation of the Vocabulary_.

As all nations who are acquainted with the method of communicating their ideas by characters, (which represent the sound that conveys the idea,) have some particular method of managing, or p.r.o.nouncing, the sounds represented by such characters, this forms a very essential article in the const.i.tution of the language of any particular nation, and must, therefore, be understood before we can make any progress in learning, or be able to converse in it. But as this is very complex and tedious to a beginner, by reason of the great variety of powers the characters, or letters, are endued with under different circ.u.mstances, it would seem necessary, at least in languages which have never before appeared in writing, to lessen the number of these varieties, by restraining the different sounds, and always representing the same simple ones by the same character; and this is no less necessary in the English than any other language, as this variety of powers is very frequent, and without being taken notice of in the following Vocabulary, might render it entirely unintelligible. As the vowels are the regulations of all sounds, it is these only that need be noticed, and the powers allotted to each of these in the Vocabulary is subjoined.

_A_ in the English language is used to represent two different simple sounds, as in the word Arabia, where the first and last have a different power from the second. In the Vocabulary this letter must always have the power, or be p.r.o.nounced like the first and last in Arabia. The other power, or sound, of the second _a_, is always represented in the Vocabulary by _a_ and _i_, printed in Italics thus, _ai_.

_E_ has likewise two powers, or it is used to represent two simple sounds, as in the words Eloquence, Bred, Led, &c. and it may be said to have a third power, as in the words Then, When, &c. In the first case, this letter is only used at the beginning of words, and wherever it is met with in any other place in the words of the Vocabulary, it is used as in the second case: But never as in the third example; for this power, or sound, is every where expressed by the _a_ and _i_ before-mentioned, printed in Italics.

_I_ is used to express different simple sounds, as in the words Indolence, Iron, and Imitation. In the Vocabulary it is never used as in the first case, but in the middle of words; it is never used as in the second example, for that sound is always represented by _y_, nor is it used as in the last case, that sound being always represented by two _e_'s, printed in Italics in this manner, _ee_.

_O_ never alters in the p.r.o.nunciation, i.e. in this Vocabulary, of a simple sound, but is often used in this manner, _oo_, and sounds as in Good, Stood, &c.

_U_ alters, or is used to express different simple sounds, as in Unity, or Umbrage. Here the letters _e_ and _u_, printed in Italics _eu_ are used to express its power as in the first example, and it always retains the second power, wherever it is met with.

_Y_ is used to express different sounds, as in My, By, &c. &c. and in Daily, Fairly, &c. Wherever it is met with in the middle, or end, (i.e.

anywhere but at the beginning,) of a word, it is to be used as in the first example; but is never to be found as in the second, for that sound, or power, is always represented by the Italic letter _e_. It has also a third power, as in the words Yes, Yell, &c., which is retained every where in the Vocabulary, at least in the beginning of words, or when it goes before another vowel, unless directed to be sounded separately by a mark over it, as thus, a.

Unless in a few instances, these powers of the vowels are used throughout the Vocabulary; but, to make the p.r.o.nunciation still less liable to change, or variation, a few marks are added to the words, as follows:--

This mark as oa, means that these letters are to be expressed singly.

The letters in Italic, as _ee_, or _oo_, make but one simple sound.

When a particular stress is laid on any part of a word in the p.r.o.nunciation, an accent is placed over that letter where it begins, or rather between that and the preceding one.

It often happens that a word is compounded as it were of two, or in some cases the same word, or syllable, is repeated. In these circ.u.mstances, a comma is placed under them at this division, where a rest, or small s.p.a.ce, of time is left before you proceed to p.r.o.nounce the other part, but it must not be imagined that this is a full stop.

_Examples in all these Cases._

Roa, Great, long, distant. E'r_ee_ma, Five. Ry'po_ee_a, Fog, _or mist_. E'h_oo_ra, To invert, _or turn upside down_. Par_oo_, r_oo_, A part.i.tion, _division, or screen_.

A VOCABULARY, &c.

A.

To abide, _or remain_ Ete'_ei_.

An Abode, _or place of residence_, Noho'ra.

Above, _not below_, N_eea_, s. Tie'n_eea_.

An Abscess, Fe'fe.

Action, _opposed to rest_, Ta'er_ee_.

Adhesive, _of an adhesive or sticking quality_ Oo'p_ee_re.

Adjoining, _or contiguous to_, E'p_ee_iho.

Admiration, _an interjection of_, A'w_ai_, s. A'w_ai_ to P_ee_r_ee_ai.

An adulterer, T_ee_ho t_ee_ho, s. Teeho _or one that vexes a married woman_ ta-rar

To agitate, _or shake a thing, as water, &c._ E_oo_a'w_ai_.

Aliment, _or food of any kind_, Maa.

Alive, _that is not dead_, Waura.

All, _the whole, not a part_, A'ma_oo_.

Alone, _by one's self_, Ota'h_oi_.

Anger, _or to be angry_, Warrad_ee_, s. R_ee_d_ee_.

To angle, _or fish_, E'h_oo_tee.

_The_ Ankle, Momoa.

_The inner_ Ankle, A't_oo_a,ewy.

Answer, _an answer to a question_, Oo'm_ai_a.

Approbation, _or consent_, Mad_oo_ho'why.

_Punctuated_ Arches _on the hips_, E'var're.

_The_ Arm, R_ee_ma.

_The_ Armpit, E'e.

_An_ arrow, E'_oo_me.

Arrow, _the body of an arrow or reed_, O'wha.

_The point of an_ Arrow, To'_ai_, s. O'moa.

Ashamed, _to be ashamed or confused_, Ama, s. He'ama.

Ash.o.r.e, _or on sh.o.r.e_, Te Euta.

To ask _for a thing_, Ho'my, s. Ha'py my.

Asperity, _roughness_, Tarra, tarra.

An a.s.sa.s.sin,_murderer, or rather man-killer, soldier, Taata,Toa. or warrior_,

An a.s.sembly, _or meeting_, Ete_ou_'rooa. Atherina, A'n_ai_h_eu_.

Avaricious, _parsimonious, ungenerous_, P_ee_'p_ee_re.

Averse, _unwillingness to do a thing_, Fata, h_oi_to' _hoi_to.

Authentic,_true_, Par_ou_, m_ou_.

Awake, _not asleep_, Arra arra, s. E'ra.

Awry,_or to one side; as a wry neck_, Na'na.

An Axe, _hatchet, or adze_, Toe.

Ay, _yes; an affirmation_, _Ai_.

B.

A Babe, _or child_, Mydidde.

A Batchelor, _or unmarried person_, E'ev_ee_ (taata.) The_ Back, T_oo_a_.

To wipe the_ Backside, Fy'r_oo_,too'ty.

Bad, _it is not good_, 'Ee'no.