The Ontario Readers: The High School Reader, 1886 | Page 8

All the vowels do not equally well exemplify in their utterance a
distinction of sound in their radical and vanishing movements, because
some vowel sounds are less diphthongal than others, and some, again,
are pure monophthongs; but these two movements and the concrete
variation of pitch, the result of one impulse of the voice, are the
essential structure of every syllable, and are characteristic of
speech-notes as contradistinguished from those of song.
When the radical and vanishing movements are effected smoothly,
distinctly, and without intensity or emotion, commencing fully and
with some abruptness, and terminating gently and almost inaudibly, the
result is the =equable concrete=. This of course may be produced with
intervals, either upward or downward, of any degree--tone, semitone,
third, fifth, or octave. It must be said, however, that some syllables, and
even some vowels, lend themselves more easily than others to that
prolonged utterance which is essential to the production of wide
intervals and the perfectness of the vanishing movement.
The equable concrete is the natural, simple mode of utterance; but
under the influence of interest, excitement, passion, and so on, the
utterance of the concrete may be greatly varied from this by means of
stress, or force applied to some part or to all of its extent. The different
variations may be described as follows:
(1) =Radical Stress=, where force is applied to the opening of the
concrete. (It should be said that a slight degree of radical stress is given

even in the equable concrete, producing its full, clear opening.)
(2) =Loud Concrete=, where force is applied throughout the whole
concrete, the proportion of the radical to the vanish remaining
unaltered.
(3) =Median Stress=, where force is applied to the middle of the
concrete, producing a swell, or impressive fulness.
(4) =Compound Stress=, where force is applied in an unusual degree to
each extremity of the concrete.
(5) =Final Stress=, where force is applied to the end of the concrete, the
radical stress being somewhat diminished in fulness.
(6) =Thorough Stress=, where force is so applied that the concrete has
the same fulness throughout.
EXERCISE.--With the syllable pä exemplify the equable concrete and
the several varieties of stress, using different degrees of initial or
radical pitch, and the various intervals of the tone, semitone, third, fifth,
and octave. The exercises for the radical stress should be first aspirated,
then repeated with full vocality.
Besides the forms of the simple rising and falling intervals in which the
concrete is generally uttered, there is another form, called the =wave=,
effected by a union of these modes. It is of two varieties: (1) where a
rising movement is continued into a falling movement, called the
=direct wave=; (2) where a falling movement is continued into a rising
movement, called the =inverted wave=. Waves may pass through all
varieties of intervals, and may be either (1) equal, where the voice in
both members passes through the same interval; or (2) unequal, where
in one flexion the interval traversed by the voice is greater than in the
other.
EXERCISE.--With the syllable p[=a] exemplify the different kinds of
waves, with the same variations of radical pitch, interval, and stress, as
before.

The elementary sounds of speech are of three natural divisions; the
tonics, the subtonics, and the atonics.
The =Tonics= are the simple vowels and diphthongs. They are of
perfect vocality; they admit the concrete rise and fall through all the
intervals of pitch; they may be uttered with more abruptness than the
other elements; and being capable of indefinite prolongation they can
receive the most perfect exemplification of the vanishing movement.
They may be said to be: [a:], as in all; ä, as in arm; [.a], as in ask; [)a],
as in an; [=a], as in ate; â, as in air; [=e], as in eve; [)e], as in end; ë,
as in err; [=i], as in ice; [)i], as in inn; [=o], as in old; ö, as in or; [)o],
as in odd; [=u], as in use; [)u], as in up; [=o][=o], as in ooze; [)o][)o],
as in book; oi, as in oil; ou, as in out. (There are various ways of
arranging and classifying these.)
EXERCISE.--Exemplify generally the equable concrete, loud concrete,
radical stress, and median stress, with upward and downward intervals,
with clear, sharp openings, and with gradually attenuated vanishes,
upon each of the tonic elements.
The =Subtonics= possess the properties of vocality and prolongation in
some degree, but much less perfectly than the tonics, and their vocality
(known as the vocal murmur) is the same for all. They are as
follows:--b, d, g, v, z, y, w (as in woe), th (as in then), zh (as z in azure),
j (as in judge, by some considered not elementary), l, m, n, ng (as in
sing), r (as in ran),