these different pails of speech*. The wordswhich admit of this diversity of accent ave thefollowing :

Nouns.

Abject

Absent

Abstract

Accent

Affix

assign

Augment

bombard

cement

colleague

collect

((impact

c 6 mpound

edmpress

concert

c Ancrcte

conduct

(Anflue

conflict

t<5<weri’e

cAnsort

cAntest

cAntract

cAntrast

cAnient

c inverse

cAnvert

cbnvict

cAnvoy

desert

discount

Verbs ,to abjictto absentto abstractto accentto affixto assignto augmtntto bombardto ccmAntto colUagueto colUctto comjtActto cotnpAimdto compressto concertto concreteto conductto confineto conflictto construeto consArtto conttstto contractto contrastto convtntto converseto convertto convictto convAyto dcsirtto discAunt

Nouns.

disc ant

digest

Assay

6xpo r t

ixtract

ixtle

ferment

frequent

import

incense

insult

Abject

perfume

ptrmit

prefix

premise

prisage

present

prAduce

pr&ject

protest

rtbel

record

rifu.se

subject

sUrveyt&rmenttr/ijecttrAnsfertrAnsport, Attribute

493. To this analogy some speakers are endea-vouring to reduce the word contents ; which,when it signifies the matter contained in a book,is often heard with the accent on the first syl-lable ; hut though this pronunciation serves todistinguish words which are different in signifi-cation, and to give, in some measure, a differenceof form to the noun and verb, in which ourtongue is remarkably deficient, still it is doubt-ful whether this distinction be of any real ad-vaniage to the language.—See Bowl . This diver-sity of accentuation seems to have place in somecompound verbs.—See Counterbalance and thesubsequent words.

494. Sometimes words have a different accent,ns they are adjectives or substantives.

ACCENT ON DiSSYU-ADhES.

496. In this aualogy some speakers pronouncethe word Concordance with the accent outlie firstsyllable, wheu it signifies a dictionary of theBible ; and with the accent on the secoud, whenit signifies agreement: but, besides that there isnot the same reason for distinguishing nouns fromeach other as there is nouns tmm verbs, theaccent on the first syllabic of the word Concord -ance gives a harshness and poverty to iu soundwhich ought to be avoided,

497. But though the different accentuation ofnouns ami ‘verbs of the same fonu does not ex-tend so far as might be expected, it is certainthat in words of two syllables, where the nounand verb are of different forms, there is an evi,dent tendency in the language to place the accentupon the first syllable of the noun, and on thelast of the verb. Hence the nouns outrage, up-start, and uproar, have the accent on the firstsyllable ; and the verbs to uplift , to uphold, andto outstrip, on the last.

498. This analogy will appear still more evi-dent if we attend to the accent of those nonnsand verbs which are compounded of two words.Every dissyllable compounded of words which,taken separately, have a meaning, may be deemeda qualified substantive ; and that word which qua*lilies or describes the other is that which mostdistinguishes it, and consequently is that whichought to have the accent: accordingly we findthat inkhorn, outrage, chairman, freehold, sand*box, book-case , pen-knife , have the accent on thefirst syllable, which is the specifying part of theword; while gainsay, foresee, overlook , undersell,have the accent on the last syllable, which is theleast distinguishing part of the word. This rule,however, is, either by the caprice of custom orthe love of harmony, frequently violated, but issufficiently extensive to mark the general tend-ency of the language. Akenside brings the verbto comment under this analogy :

Verbs ,to descantto digestto essayto cxpArtto extractto exileto fermhilto frequentto impArtto incenseto insultto objtctto perfimeto permitto prefixto premiseto presageto presentto produceto projectto protestto reb&lto recArdto ref&seto subjectto surviyto tormhitto trajectto transferto transp&rtto attribute.

Substantives.August , the monthcSmpact

champAign, wine6xile, banishmentgallant, a loverinstinctinvalid

■Levant, a placeminute of timesApinc, in grammar

Adjectives,august, noblecompAct

champaign, openexile, smallgAllant, boldinstinctinvalid

levant, easternminitte , smallsupine, indolent.

495. Sometimes the same parts of speech have

adifferer*-*■-- * * - •

fi cation.

i different accent to mark a difference of signi-

bitffet, a blow bufflt, a cupboard

*° t6 masfck° 1,racti!e i conjure, to entreatdivert, a wilderness desArt, meritsinister, insidious sinister, the left side*

* It is not improbable that, the verb, by re-ceiving a participial termination, has inclined usto pronounce that part of speech with an accentnearer the end than we do the noun : for thoughwe can without any difficulty pronounce the verbwith the accent on the noun, we cannot so easilypronounce the participle and the adverb formedfrom it with that accent: thus we can pronounceto transport with the accent on the first syllable ;hut not so easily tr&nspprtmg and transportingly>This is a solid reason for the distinction, and* u Sht to induce us where we can to observe it* stpuichre and to sepulchre scemu require it.—the word.

— The sober zeal

1 Of age, commenting on prodigions things.”

Pleasures of the Imagination.

And Milton in the same manner the verb tocommerce :

“ And looks commercing with the skies,

" Thy rapt soul sittingin thine eyes."-/f Pcnserosa .

499. 'Something very analogous to this tv? findm the nouns we verbalize, by changing the *sharp of the noun into the s flat, or s of lire verb,437, as a use, and to use ; where we may remark,that when the word in both parts of speech, is amonosyllable, and so not under the laws of ac-cent, the verb, however, claims the privilege oflengthening the sound or the consonant when itcan, as well as when it cannot, prolong the ac-centuation : thus we not only find grass alteredto graze, brass to braze, glass to glaze, price toprize, breath to breathe, &c. but the c or $ sharpaltered to the s flat in advice to advise, excuse toexcuse, device to devise, See. The noun adoptingthe sharp hissing sound, and the verb the softbuzzing one, without transferring the accent fromone syllable to another. The vulgar extend thisanalogy to the noun practice and the verb topractise, pronouncing the first with the i shortand tive c like sharp as if written practlss, andthe last with the i long and the s like sr, as ifwritten practize j but correct speakers pronouncethe verb like the noun ; that is, as if written prac-tise The noun prophecy and the verb to prophesyfollow this analogy, only, by writing the nounwith the c and the verb with the s, and withoutany difference of sound, except pronouncing they in the first like e, and in the last like i long;where we may still discover a trace of the tend-ency to the barytone pronunciation in the noun,and' the oxy tone in the verb, 467.—See Appendix.

500 . This seems to be the favourite tendency ofEnglish verbs; and where we find it crossed itis generally in those formed from nouns, ratherthan the contrary : agreeably to this, Dr. Johnsonhas observed that, though nouns have often theaccent on the latter, yet verbs have it seldom onthe former syllabic ; those nouns which, in thecommon order of language, must have preceded

, the verbs, often transmit this accent to the verbs