Pitmans Commercial Spanish Grammar | Page 2

and lightly, with a tinge of th in "they," as Madrid, Amado (loved), Encarnado (red).
G before E_ and _I is pronounced guttural, as El general (the general), El giro (the draft, bill). This sound is equal to ch in the Scotch word "loch." In all other cases G is pronounced hard, as in the English word "gay"; as Gato (cat), Gobierno (government), Gusto (pleasure, taste).
H is a mute letter. (Although in Andalusia it is aspirated in certain words.)
J is always guttural, as Juan (John), Jornalero (day labourer), Junio (June), Reloj (watch, clock).
Ll--ly_, stronger than _li in "pavilion," as Belleza (beauty), Folleto (leaflet).
N--ny, stronger than ni in "pinion," as Nino (child), Cana (cane), El otono (autumn).
Q is only used before ue_ and _ui (and the u_ is then _mute), as Querido (dear, beloved), Yo quiero (I want).
R as in English, but it is always rolled, as Caro (dear, expensive), Perdida (loss). At the beginning of a word or when preceded by a consonant it is rolled more strongly, as La rosa (the rose), Deshonra (dishonour).
Rr always rolled strongly, as Carro (cart), El ferrocarril (the railway).
S always pronounced as _s_ in "soap," and never as in "as" or "sure."
T as in "tea," but never as _t_ in "nation." It must be pronounced softly, not explosive, as Fortuna (fortune), Cuatro (four).
V is pronounced much more lightly than in English, as Vino (wine), Vivir (to live). By the common people V_ is often confounded with _B, but educated Spaniards will always make the proper distinction.
Y--Spanish _I_.
Z--th in "theatre," as Zarazas (cotton prints), Zorra (fox).
NOTE.--In modern Spanish Z is not used before E_ or _I, its place being supplied by _C_.
RULES ON PRONUNCIATION.
RULE I.--Every letter is pronounced. There are no mute letters as _b_ in "lamb" or _n_ in "autumn."
EXCEPTIONS--H_ is not sounded as already explained in the alphabet. _U is not sounded in the following syllables: que, qui, gue_ and _gui, as Quedar (to remain), Quinta (villa), Guerra (war), Aguila (eagle), unless the u_ in _gue_ and _gui has the diaeresis, as Argueir (to argue), Vergueenza (shame).
RULE II.--No consonant is doubled except C and N. _C_ is found doubled in words like Acceder (to accede) when one C_ is hard--_k and the other soft--th.
N_ is found doubled in words having the prefix _in, as Innoble (ignoble), Innavegable (unnavigable). Also in Perenne (perennial) and a very few more words.
Ll_ and _Rr are treated as single letters.
RULE III.--The stress of the voice falls on the last syllable but one in all words ending in a vowel or S_ or _N; otherwise it falls on the last syllable, as Una factura (an invoice), Facturas (invoices), Hermano (brother), Cartas (letters), Ellos tienen (they have), Azul (blue), Abril (April), Labor (labour), Feliz (happy).
In diphthongs and triphthongs the stress is not on i_ or _u, but falls on a_, _e_ or _o, as Reina (queen), Gracia (grace), Igual (equal), Cielo (heaven).
When the diphthong is formed by i_ and _u the last one bears the stress, as Un viudo (a widower), La ciudad (the city), Luisa (Louise).
The numerous exceptions to the above rule are all marked by the written accent ('), as Facturo (he invoiced), Escribira (he will write), Hablame (speak to me), Ingles (English), Aleman (German), Util (useful), Jovenes (young men).
The stress of the voice should fall distinctly on the proper syllable according to the above rule, and the attention of the student must be earnestly called to this very important point.
A word in the plural maintains the stress on the same syllable as in its singular, as El oceano (the ocean), Oceanos (oceans), Calculo (calculation), Calculos (calculations), Ingles (Englishman), Ingleses (Englishmen); except Caracter (character), Caracteres (characters), Regimen (regime or rule), Regimenes (regimes or rules)--the latter hardly ever used in the plural.
SIGNS.
The Written Accent.
The only accent in Spanish is ('). It is used--
(1) To mark the exceptions to the Rule of Stress.
(2) To distinguish between two meanings of the same word, as El (the), El (he); De (of), Que el de (that he may give); Se (3rd person reflexive pronoun, "himself," etc.), Yo se (I know); Mas (more), Mas (but).
(3) In the following words established by use, as "o" or "u" (or), "e" (and), "a" (to).[4]
(4) In some words when used interrogatively, as Quien? (who?), Que? (what?), Cual? (which?), Cuyo? (whose?), Donde? (where?).
(5) On I_ and _U_ when they occur together with _A, E_ or _O_, the _I or _U_ not belonging to the same syllable, viz., not forming diphthong with A, E_ or _O, as Filosofia (philosophy), El continua (he continues).
(6) On I_ following _U_ when the _I does not form a diphthong, but stands as a separate syllable, as Concluido (concluded), Imbuido (imbued).
(7) On Este (this), Ese and Aquel (that) when these words are stressed.
[Footnote 4: According to the last edition of the Grammar of the Spanish Academy,