Examples are _alias_, _genius_, _odium_, _junior_,
_an[ae]mia_, and on the other hand _f[)i]lius_, _L[)y]dia_. Compound
verbs with a short prefix were exceptions, as _[)o]beo_, _r[)e]creo_,
whence our 'recreant'. A long prefix remained long as in _d[=e]sino_.
The only other exception that I can remember was _Ph[)o]loe_.
In polysyllables the general rule was that all vowels and diphthongs
before the penultima other than _u_, when it bore a primary or
secondary stress, and _au_ and _eu_ were pronounced short except
where the 'alias' rule or the 'larva' rule applied. Thus we said
_h[)e]r[)e]ditaritis_, _[)[ae]]qu[)a]bilitas_, _imb[)e]cillus_,
_susp[)i]cionem_, but _fid[=u]ciarius_, _m[=e]diocritas_,
_p[=a]rticipare_. I do not know why the popular voice now gives
_[)A]riadne_, for our forefathers said _[=A]riadne_ as they said
_[=a]rea_.
In very long words the alternation of stress and no-stress was
insisted on. I remember a schoolmaster who took his degree at Oxford
in the year 1827 reproving a boy for saying _['A]lphesib['oe]us_
instead of _Alphesib['oe]us_, and I suspect that Wordsworth meant no
inverted stress in
La['o]dam['i]a, that at Jove's command--
nor Landor in
Art['e]mid['o]ra, gods invisible--
though I hope that they did.
* * * * *
It is not to be thought that these rules were in any way arbitrary.
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