The-Grammar-of-English-Grammars-840

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CHAPTER	II—UTTERANCE.
Utterance	Is	the	art	or	act	of	vocal	expression.	It	includes	the	principles	of
articulation,	of	pronunciation,	and	of	elocution.
SECTION	I.—OF	ARTICULATION.
Articulation	is	the	forming	of	words;	by	the	voice,	with	reference	to	their
component	letters	and	sounds.
ARTICLE	I.—OF	THE	DEFINITION.
Articulation	differs	from	pronunciation,	in	having	more	particular	regard	to	the
elements	of	words,	and	in	not	embracing	accent[470].	A	recent	author	defines	it
thus:	"ARTICULATION	is	the	act	of	forming,	with	the	organs	of	speech,	the
elements	of	vocal	language."—Comstock's	Elocution,	p.	16.	And	again:	"A	good
articulation	is	the	perfect	utterance	of	the	elements	of	vocal	language."—Ibid.
An	other	describes	it	more	elaborately	thus:	"ARTICULATION,	in	language,	is
the	forming	of	the	human	voice,	accompanied	by	the	breath,	in	some	few
consonants,	into	the	simple	and	compound	sounds,	called	vowels,	consonants,
and	diphthongs,	by	the	assistance	of	the	organs	of	speech;	and	the	uniting	of
those	vowels,	consonants,	and	diphthongs,	together,	so	as	to	form	syllables	and
words,	and	constitute	spoken	language."—Bolles's	Dict.,	Introd.,	p.	7.
ARTICLE	II—OF	GOOD	ARTICULATION.
Correctness	in	articulation	is	of	such	importance,	that	without	it	speech	or
reading	becomes	not	only	inelegant,	but	often	absolutely	unintelligible.	The
opposite	faults	are	mumbling,	muttering,	mincing,	lisping,	slurring,	mouthing,
drawling,	hesitating,	stammering,	misreading,	and	the	like.	"A	good	articulation
consists	in	giving	every	letter	in	a	syllable	its	due	proportion	of	sound,	according
to	the	most	approved	custom	of	pronouncing	it;	and	in	making	such	a	distinction
between	the	syllables	of	which	words	are	composed,	that	the	ear	shall	without
difficulty	acknowledge	their	number;	and	perceive,	at	once,	to	which	syllable
each	letter	belongs.	Where	these	points	are	not	observed,	the	articulation	is
proportionably	defective."—Sheridan's	Rhetorical	Grammar,	p.	50.
Distinctness	of	articulation	depends,	primarily,	upon	the	ability	to	form	the
simple	elements,	or	sounds	of	letters,	by	the	organs	of	speech,	in	the	manner
which	the	custom	of	the	language	demands;	and,	in	the	next	place,	upon	the
avoidance	of	that	precipitancy	of	utterance,	which	is	greater	than	the	full	and
accurate	play	of	the	organs	will	allow.	If	time	be	not	given	for	the	full
enunciation	of	any	word	which	we	attempt	to	speak,	some	of	the	syllables	will	of
course	be	either	lost	by	elision	or	sounded	confusedly.
Just	articulation	gives	even	to	a	feeble	voice	greater	power	and	reach	than	the
loudest	vociferation	can	attain	without	it.	It	delivers	words	from	the	lips,	not
mutilated,	distorted,	or	corrupted,	but	as	the	acknowledged	sterling	currency	of
thought;—"as	beautiful	coins	newly	issued	from	the	mint,	deeply	and	accurately
impressed,	perfectly	finished,	neatly	struck	by	the	proper	organs,	distinct,	sharp,
in	due	succession,	and	of	due	weight."—Austin's	Chironomia,	p.	38.
OBS.—The	principles	of	articulation	constitute	the	chief	exercise	of	all	those
who	are	learning	either	to	speak	or	to	read.	So	far	as	they	are	specifically	taught
in	this	work,	they	will	be	found	in	those	sections	which	treat	of	the	powers	of	the
letters.
SECTION	II.—OF	PRONUNCIATION.
Pronunciation,	as	distinguished	from	elocution,	or	delivery,	is	the	utterance	of
words	taken	separately.	The	correct	pronunciation	of	words,	or	that	part	of
grammar	which	teaches	it,	is	frequently	called	Orthoëpy.
Pronunciation,	or	orthoëpy,	requires	a	knowledge	of	the	just	powers	of	the	letters
in	all	their	combinations;	of	the	distinction	of	quantity	in	vowels	and	syllables;