Orthography Part 31

#[Third Month.]#

Rule II: "When a suffix is added to a word ending in _y_, preceded by a consonant, the _y_ is changed to _i_, unless the suffix begins with _i_."

Model for drill on this rule (supply + ed, display + ed are written on the board):

"The _y_ in _supply_ is preceded by a consonant, therefore, when the suffix _ed_ is added the _y_ is changed to _i_ and the word is spelled, _supplied_." Or,

"The _y_ in display is preceded by a vowel, therefore when the suffix _ed_ is added the _y_ is not changed, and the word is spelled, _displayed_."

carry + ed study + es espy + ed juicy + est hurry + es destroy + ed deny + ing homely + est marry + ing pity + ing survey + ed pity + ful decay + ed pity + less employ + ing rally + es annoy + s joy + less noisy + est pretty + est copy + ed city + es mighty + er pity + able

EXCEPTIONS.

_y_ does not change before _'s_; as in

la'dy's en'e my's ba'by's coun'try's

Other exceptions to the rule, or to what is inferred from it:

staid (_or_ stayed) slain dry'ly la'dy like paid dai'ly dry ness la dy bug laid sly ly (_but_, dri'er, la dy ship said sly ness dri'est) ba by hood saith shy ly shy ness ba by house

#[Fourth and Fifth Months.]#

Rule III: "Monosyllables or words accented on the last syllable, ending in a single consonant, preceded by a single vowel, double the final consonant on receiving a suffix beginning with a vowel." This rule carries with it the inference that the final consonant is not doubled unless these conditions are all complied with.

Model for drill on this rule:

"_Refer_ is not a monosyllable, but it is accented on the last syllable; it ends in a single consonant _r_, preceded by a single vowel _e_; therefore, on adding the suffix _ed_, beginning with the vowel _e_, the final consonant _r_ is doubled, and the word is spelled, _referred_."

refer + ed gallop + ed suspend + ed suffer + ing omit + ed abhor + ence kidnap + ed travel + ed cheat + ed join + ing admit + ing rebel + ious flatter + ed benefit + ed differ + ence fertil + izer prefer + ing permit + ed enamel + ed quarrel + ing remit + ance map + ing drug + ist brag + art heap + ing connect + ing emit + ed unfit + ed confer + ing offer + ed conceal + ed parallel + ed acquit + ed* commit + ee shelter + ed stir + ing root + ed squeal + ing intermit + ent equal + ed depend + ent begin + er cheer + ed vigor + ous occur + ed shovel + ed forgot + en regret + ed submit + ed transmit + ed drum + er spin + ing

* After _q_, _u_ is a consonant.

EXCEPTIONS.

The final consonant is not doubled when, in the derivative, the accent is thrown from the last syllable of the primitive; as, _re fer'_, _ref'er ence_.

ref'er ence def'er ence ref er ee'

pref er ence in fer ence ref'er a ble _or_ con fer ence pref er a ble re fer'ri ble

OTHER EXCEPTIONS.

gas es (but ga.s.sy) tranquillity gas eous humbug ging trans fer able crystallize humbug ged ex cellence chagrined

NOTE.-There is a large cla.s.s of words ending in _l_, and accented on some other syllable than the last, in whose derivatives the _l_ is doubled by many writers; but it accords more with the a.n.a.logy of the language not to double the _l_. Such words are the following: apparel, cancel, channel, cudgel, dishevel, drivel, duel, enamel, equal, gambol, grovel, jewel, libel, marshal, marvel, metal, model, panel, peril, quarrel.