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81 RÉSUMÉ OF THE PRINCIPAL PHONETIC LAWS WHICH UNDERLIE SOME FORMS OF THE CONJUGATION OF REGULAR AND IRREGULAR VERBS.

N.B. In all French words the tonic accent (which must not be confounded with orthographic accents, although they often coincide) rests

(1) on the last syllable, if it is sounded :-nous par-lons'; vous de-mandez' ; (2) on the last but one (penultimate), if the last is mute :-je par'-le;

I. STRENGTHENING of the Stem:

ils vendi'-rent.

If in any form of conjugation the inflexion of a Verb becomes mute or disappears, the stem, which in that case bears the tonic accent, may require strengthening in pronunciation, especially if its vowel is mute or short.

This strengthening of the stem in the spoken language is indicated graphically in different ways: as,

(a) by changing e mute or é into è ;

(b) by doubling the final stem-consonant,

(c) by changing e mute or é into the diphthong ie;

(d) by changing e mute into oi;

Under this head may be classed the following case of vowel change :

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Observation 1.-U into oi, and a into ai, only in

buv-ant', buv-ons', etc.; boi-re; boi-s, -s, -t; -vent, etc.;

savoir :-je sai-s, -s, -t; in avoir :-ay-ant ; j'ai ; j'aie, etc.

Observation 2.-For examples like (a) and (b) see § 60.

Like (d)—all Verbs in -cevoir; as, recevoir, etc. see § 70.
Like (e)-mour-ir, je meurs, etc.; mouv-oir, je meu-s, etc.;

pouv-oir, je peu-x. In Molière's time we still find

trouver, je treuve.

Observation 3.-Most of these phonetic laws hold good in the flexion and

derivation of other parts of speech.1 Compare:

(a) complet, f. complète; Genévois, Genève; négresse, nègre.

(b) cruel, f. cruelle; muet, f. muette.

(c) chenil, chien; fébril, fièvre.

(d) me, moi; régal, roi; espérer, espoir.

(e) avouer, l'aveu; douloureux, la douleur ; prouver, la preuve.

1 For the full understanding of Latin-French sound-lore we must refer the student to special treatises on 'Historical Grammar,' as-Brachet's ' Grammaire Historique' and 'Dict. Etymologique;' Meissner's 'Philology of the French Language,' and to Littre's Dictionary.

II.-SOFTENING of the Final Stem-Consonant :

The consonants c and g being pronounced

hard before a, o, u; as, cap, corde, cure; garde, gomme, guerre ; soft before e, i, y; as, ce, ciel, cygne; genou, gilet, gynécée;

it becomes necessary, in the case of verbs whose final stem-consonants c or g are pronounced soft throughout, to indicate by some graphic sign that they remain soft even if the inflection begins with a, o, or u; this is done by changing c into :-perc-er; perç-ant; je perc-e; n. perç-ons, recev-oir; recev-ant; je reç-ois; n. recev-ons, by changing g into ge :-mang-er; mange-ant; je mange; n. mange-ons. Observation. Thus with other parts of speech :-le perçoir; la mangeoire; la gageure, etc.

III. HARDENING of the Final Stem-Consonant :

If, on the other hand, the final stem-consonants c or g are pronounced hard throughout, it is necessary to indicate in writing that they remain hard even if the inflection begins with e or i; this is done

by changing c into qu, but rather inconsistently (qu being applied where there is no need for it) :

vainc-re; ils vainqu-ent, but also— vainqu-ant, etc. See § 76.

by changing g into gu (but quite as inconsistently, gu being applied indiscriminately throughout, both before a, o, u and e, i) :—

distingu-er, distingu-ant; je distingu-e; n. distingu-ons, etc.

Observation.-Only in the case of a few adjectives derived from Participles has the superfluous u been dropped, whereby they may now be distinguished from the Pres. Part. proper :

extravaguant, extravagant; fatiguant, fatigant, etc. The same law holds good with the inflection of Adjectives

public, f. publique; long, f. longue.

:

IV. VOCALISING the Final Stem-Consonant (i. e. changing 1, 11, ill, v into u):—

In the case of some verbs of the 2d or 3d conjugation, the stem of which ends in - or -ill, these endings are changed into u, when the inflection is a silent consonant (f, x, t) :—

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Thus also in the Future of savoir and avoir, the v=u:

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1 In bouill-ir, the -ill- coalesces with the stem-vowel ou :-je bou-s, -s, -t.

For this process of vocalisation, which has so extensively operated in the formation of the French language, we must again refer the student to an historical grammar; we will only revert here to a few instances which have occurred before :

cheval, pl. chevaux; travail, pl. travaux ; bel and beau; fol and fou; mol and mou; col and cou; chevelure and cheveu, etc, etc.

(c) In verbs in -ind-re, n is changed into the liquid -gn (a semi-vowel), and d dropped, see V. (c), in the Pres. Part. and Preterite, as also in their derivatives :

plai-nd-re; plai-gn-ant, etc.; je plai-gn-is, etc.

Observation. For the transposition of Lat. ng into gn, comp. viginti, vingt; pugnus, poing; stagnum, étang, etc.

V.-DROPPING of the Final Stem-Consonant :

If the stem of a verb of the 2d, 3d, or 4th conjugation ends in rm, rv, rt, nt, or in a double consonant, one or both of these are dropped before the silent consonant-inflections -s, -x, -t: as,

(a) dorm-ir-dorm-ant, n. dorm-ons, etc.;
(thus- ment-ir, je men-s, etc. (see § 67).
mett-re-mett-ant, n. mett-ons, etc.;

Pres. Indic. and Imperat.
Sing.

| dor-s, -s, -t.

| met-s, -s, -; thus― battre.

(b) connaî-t-re:—connai-ss-ant, n. connai-ss-ons, connai-s, -s, -t; thus— paître, etc. (see § 78).

etc.;

Before -t, a circumflex is placed over i to indicate the thrown out ss :— il connaît, je connaîtrai, etc.

(c) In verbs in -ind-re, Pres. Part. -gn-ant (Lat. -ng-), the g is dropped before s and t:

plain-d-re :-plai-gn-ant, plai-gn-ons, etc. ; | plain-s, -s, -t; thus— craindre, etc. (see § 74). Observation.-In prend-re, on the other hand, the organic d (Lat. prehendere) is dropped in Pres. Part. and its derivatives :—

pren-d-re, pren-ant; n. pren-ons, etc., je pren-ais, etc., but, prend-s, -s, —.

(d) Thus also v is thrown out before inflectional -s, -x, or -t :

suiv-re-suiv-ant, n. suiv-ons, etc.;

mouv-oir :-mouv-ant, n. mouv-ons, etc.; pouv-oir :-pouv-ant, n. pouv-ons, etc.;

sui-s, -s, -t; thus- viv-re.

meu-s, -t, -t;

peu-x, -x, -t. Fut. pourr-ai.

(e) Organic v (fr. Lat. b) is thrown out before -s, -t, and before -r (i.e. Infin., Fut., and Condit.):

écri-re écri-v-ant, n. écri-v-ons, etc.; boi-re-bu-v-ant, n. bu-v-ons, etc.;

écri-s, -s, -t. Fut. écri-rai, etc.

boi-s, -s, -t.

boi-rai, etc.

(f) Organic s (fr. Lat. c) is thrown out before -s, -t, and -r : condui-re:-condui-s-ant, n. condui-s-ons, etc.; conduis, -s, -t. Fut. condui-rai,

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VI.-INTERCALATING a Euphonic Dental Consonant (d or t) between the Stem and the Infinitive- (hence also Future and Conditional-) Inflection :

In Verbs of the 2d, 3d, and 4th conjugation, the stem of which ends in 1 (or 1 vocalised into u) n, s, a euphonic d or t is intercalated before r to ease the hardness of pronunciation: as,

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Observation. Thus, Lat. pulvis, acc. pulverem, contracted pulv'rem, Fr. pou-d-re; Lat. gener, acc. generum, gen'rum, Fr. gen-d-re, Gr. ȧvýp, ȧvdpós.

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Observation.-In pren-ant, the d is organic (Lat. prehend-) :—

pren-d-re, pren-d-rai, etc.

1 Pres. Indic. Sing. :- coud-s, -8, —.

2 Like 'plaindre,' all verbs in -indre (see § 74).

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Like these, all Verbs in -aître and -oître; see § 78. Observation. Thus, être from Low Lat. ess-ĕre, ess're; old Fr. estre.

VII.-INTERCALATING a Euphonic i between the Stem and the Inflection :

If in any form of conjugation of a verb whose stem ends in oi, ui, ai or ei, the inflection begins with a sounded vowel, there occurs a hiatus; in order to ease this gap in the voice, a euphonic i is intercalated between the stem and the inflection; and this i, coalescing in written language with the preceding i of the stem, is represented by y (y being = ii or ï); henceemploy-er, employ-ant, n. employ-ons, -ez, etc.; j'emploi-e, -es, -e; essuy-er, essuy-ant, n. essuy-ons, -ez, etc.; j'essui-e, -es, e ;

-ent. -ent.

In Verbs in ay-er, ey-er, the y generally remains throughout on account of the different pronunciation :

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for whilst je paye, The same rule is applied in Verbs of the 2d, fui-r fuy-ant, n. fuy-ons, -ez, je fuy-ais, etc.; voi-r: voy-ant, n. voy-ons, -ez, je voy-ais, etc.;

assey-ant, n. assey-ons, -ez, etc.;

je pai-ie, je grassei-ie.

3d, and 4th conjugations :— but, je fui-s, -s, -t; -ent. but, je voi-s, -s, -t; -ent.

asseoi-r: assoy-ant, n. assoy-ons, -ez, etc.; but, j'assoi-s, -s, t; ent. thus-croi-re: croy-ant, n, croy-ons, etc.; brai-re, bray-ant, etc. trai-re: tray-ant, n. tray-ons, etc.; brui-re, bruy-ant, etc.

Observation. In the case of the Imperat. of Verbs of the 1st conj. (and of those of the 2d conj. with -e, -es, -e, in Pres. Sing.) used before y or en, the hiatus is avoided by restoring the original inflectional s :-vas-y; vas en chercher. Thus in the Interrogative forms a-t-il, parlera-t-il, etc., the t (originally inflectional, cp. Lat. habet, etc.) reasserts itself when euphony requires.

VIII.-SUBSTITUTING an Inflectional x for s in the 1st and 2d pers. sing. Pres. Indic. after the final Stem-Vowel u (vocalised 1) :

faill-ir, (je fau-x, tu fau-x).
voul-oir, je veu-x, tu veu-x.

Compare-mal, pl. maux;

voul-oir, je vau-x, tu vau-x.
pouv-oir, je peu-x, tu peu-x.
égal, égaux (see Introd.).

IX.-DROPPING the Inflectional t of the 3d pers. sing. Pres. Ind. after dentals

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