t in aesta:'te ci'bum si'bi et co'ngregat in me'sse
quod co'medat.

[[Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: which,
having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer
and gathereth her food in the harvest.]]

QUANTITY

_11._ The quantity of a vowel or a syllable is the time it takes to
pronounce it. Correct pronunciation and accent depend upon the proper
observance of quantity.

_12._ Quantity of Vowels. Vowels are either long (^) or short.
In this book the long vowels are marked. Unmarked vowels are to be
considered short.

[Transcriber's Note:
The wording of Sec. 12 is as in the original, except that the macron
(long-vowel symbol) has been replaced with a caret ("hat"), and the
breve (short-vowel symbol) has been omitted.]

1. A vowel is short before another vowel or _h_; as /po-e:'-ta\,
/tra'-ho:\.

2. A vowel is short before _nt_ and _nd_, before final _m_ or _t_,
and, except in words of one syllable, before final _l_ or _r_. Thus
/a'-mant\, /a-man'-dus\, /a-ma:'-bam\, /a-ma:'-bat\, /a'-ni-mal\,
/a'-mor\.

3. A vowel is long before _nf_, _ns_, _nx_, and _nct_. Thus
/i:n'-fe-ro:\, /re'-ge:ns\, /sa:n'-xi:\, /sa:nc'-tus\.

4. Diphthongs are always long, and are not marked.

_13._ Quantity of Syllables. Syllables are either long or short, and
their quantity must be carefully distinguished from that of vowels.

1. A syllable is short,

_a._ If it ends in a short vowel; as /a'-mo:\, /pi'-gri\.

NOTE. In final syllables the short vowel may be followed by a final
consonant. Thus the word /me-mo'-ri-am\ contains four short syllables.
In the first three a short vowel ends the syllable, in the last the
short vowel is followed by a final consonant.

2. A syllable is long,

_a._ If it contains a long vowel or a diphthong, as /cu:'-ro:\,
/poe'-nae\, /aes-ta:'-te\.

_b._ If it ends in a consonant which is followed by another
consonant, as /cor'-pus\, /mag'-nus\.

NOTE. The vowel in a long syllable may be either long or short, and
should be pronounced accordingly. Thus in /ter'-ra\, /in'-ter\, the
first syllable is long, but the vowel in each case is short and should
be given the short sound. In words like /saxum\ the first syllable is
long because _x_ has the value of two consonants (_cs_ or _gs_).

3. In determining quantity _h_ is not counted a consonant.

NOTE. Give about twice as much time to the long sylla