McGuffey's Fifth Eclectic Reader. William Holmes McGuffey

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      In every word which contains more than one syllable, one of the syllables is pronounced with a somewhat greater stress of voice than the others. This syllable is said to be accented. The accented syllable is distinguished by this mark ('), the same which is used in inflections.

      EXAMPLES.

      Love'ly, re-turn', re-mem'ber,

       Con'stant, re-main', a-sun'der,

       Mem'ber, a-bide', a-ban'don,

       Win'dow, a-tone', rec-ol-lect',

       Ban'ner, a-lone', re-em-bark',

      REMARK.—In most cases custom is the only guide for placing the accent on one syllable rather than another. Sometimes, however, the same word is differently accented in order to mark its different meanings.

      EXAMPLES.

      Con'jure, to practice enchantments. Con-jure', to entreat.

       Gal'lant, brave. Gal-lant', a gay fellow.

       Au'gust, a month. Au-gust', grand.

      REMARK.—A number of words used sometimes as one part of speech, and sometimes as another, vary their accents irregularly.

      EXAMPLES.

      Pres'ent, noun. Pres'ent, adjective. Pre-sent', verb.

       Com'pact, noun. Com-pact', adjective. Com-pact', verb.

      In words of more than two syllables there is often a second accent given, but more slight than the principal one, and this is called the secondary accent; as, car'a-van'', rep''ar-tee', where the principal accent is marked (') and the secondary (''); so, also, this accent is obvious in nav''-i-ga'tion, com''pre-hen'sion, plau''si-bil'i-ty, etc. The whole subject, however, properly belongs to dictionaries and spelling books.

V. EMPHASIS.

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      A word is said to be emphasized when it is uttered with a greater stress of voice than the other words with which it is connected.

      REMARK 1.—The object of emphasis is to attract particular attention to the word upon which it is placed, indicating that the idea to be conveyed depends very much upon that word. This object, as just stated, is generally accomplished by increasing the force of utterance, but sometimes, also, by a change in the inflection, by the use of the monotone, by pause, or by uttering the words in a very low key. Emphatic words are often denoted by italics, and a still stronger emphasis by SMALL CAPITALS or CAPITALS, according to the degree of emphasis desired.

      REMARK 2.—Emphasis constitutes the most important feature in reading and speaking, and, properly applied, gives life and character to language. Accent, inflection, and indeed everything yields to emphasis.

      REMARK 3.—In the following examples it will be seen that accent is governed by it.

      EXAMPLES.

      What is done cannot be undone.

       There is a difference between giving and forgiving.

       He that descended is the same that ascended.

      Some appear to make very little difference between decency and indecency, morality and immorality, religion and irreligion.

      REMARK 4.—There is no better illustration of the nature and importance of emphasis than the following examples. It will he observed that the meaning and proper answer of the question vary with each change of the emphasis.

      EXAMPLES.

      QUESTIONS. ANSWERS. ———————— Did you walk into the city yesterday? No, my brother went.

      Did you walk into the city yesterday? No, I rode.

      Did you walk into the city yesterday? No, I went into the country.

      Did you walk into the city yesterday? No, I went the day before.

ABSOLUTE EMPHASIS.

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      Sometimes a word is emphasized simply to indicate the importance of the idea. This is called absolute emphasis.

      EXAMPLES.

      To arms! they come! the Greek! the Greek!

       Woe unto you, PHARISEES! HYPOCRITES!

       Days, months, years, and ages shall circle away.

      REMARK.—In instances like the last, it is sometimes called the emphasis of specification.

RELATIVE EMPHASIS.

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      Words are often emphasized in order to exhibit the idea they express as compared or contrasted with some other idea. This is called relative emphasis.

      EXAMPLES.

      A friend can not be known in prosperity; an enemy can not be hidden in adversity.

      It is much better to be injured than to injure.

      REMARK.—In many instances one part only of the antithesis is expressed, the corresponding idea being understood; as,

      A friendly eye would never see such faults.

      Here the unfriendly eye is understood.

      King Henry exclaims, while vainly endeavoring to compose himself to rest,

      "How many thousand of my poorest subjects

       Are at this hour asleep!"

      Here the emphatic words thousand, subjects, and asleep are contrasted in idea with their opposites, and if the contrasted ideas were expressed it might be in this way:

      While I alone, their sovereign, am doomed to wakefulness.

EMPHATIC PHRASE.

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      Sometimes several words in succession are emphasized, forming what is called an emphatic phrase.

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