A new and comprehensive French instructor ...

Front matter

m

1 ' l"i I'l i!

A

II

113. The rule with reference to these Final Consonants is, that they are always to be pronounced.

The exceptions (cases in which these Letters are not pronounced in the end of words) are as follows :

115. F in Clef, Key. So in the plural, Clefs, Keys, pronounced Cle, the same as the singular.

Chef, Chief ; Cerf Deer ; Nerf, Nerve ; Neuf, Nine, New ; Bos,uf, Ox ; CEuf Egg ; drop the /, in the pronunciation, before a Consonant, in compound words, or before another word with which they are connected, as Cerf'wlant (ser-vo-la?i), A kite ; CEuf frais, (eu fre), Fresh egg.

117. G, in Faubourg, Suburb ; and, in names terminating in lerg and hourg, is also silent.

III. L and B

118. These liquid Consonants are pronounced, as the rule, in the end of words. The exceptions are as follows :

119. Z is silent,

I, In the terminations auld, ault, aulx, eulx, ould, oulx, as in Arnauld, pronounced Ar-no.

120. B Final is not pronounced :

I. In all the Infinitives of the First Conjugation, as Gonjugueu, To CONJUGATE, pronounced Co?i-ju-g'4.

II. In all Substantives and Adjectives in ,.,er and ...ier of mo"^ than one Syllable, as Eocher (ro-she), Rock ; Gahier (ca-i-e), Copybook.

Despite this last rule, however, the final r is heard in Amer, Better ; Cancer, Cancer ; Cutter, Cutter ; Mer, Yesterday ; Mgrer ; Suger , thaler.

121. When a final Consonant is not sounded, the addition of an s to form the Plural does not cause it to be sounded, and the s is silent along with it. Thus, Mot, Word, is pronounced Mo, and Mots, Words, is stiTv pronounced Mo, precisely like the former ; so when there are more than one final Consonant ; thus : Doigt, Finger, being pronounced Doi (dwah), Doigts, Fingers, is still pronounced Doi, like the Singular. This remark able accumulation of silent Consonant-Letters at the end of words mu^ be well observed. (126.)