Pronunciations in the 1913 Webster ASCII version
Syllables:
in pronunciations, the short hyphen used in the printed version as a
syllable-break is represented in the ASCII version by an asterisk (*).
the main (heavy) accent is represented by a double-quote (").
the secondary (light) accent is represented by a left-single-quote
(grave accent) (`)
the hyphen in hyphenated words is represented by the ASCII hypen (-).
where an accent occurs, no other syllable break is used.
sometimes a hyphen occurs after an accent.
Consonants:
Most consonants have their normal value in the pronunciations, but there are a few special characters, as the n-submacron and the "th" ligature. See the end of the "special characters" section.
Special characters:
The special characters are represented by two different sets of
symbols: (1) the RTF-format hexadecimal codes such as \'94 for
o-umlaut, meaning that the byte code is hexadecimal 94. These
are used only for those symbols which have been designed into a
special font set for this dictionary. The font set can only be used
in a DOS system; or
(2) an "entity" symbol using "<" and "/" as opening and closing
delimiters, with a mnemonic string between. In the case of o-umlaut
the symbol is <oum/. For the vowels, the system is consistent,
thus <aum/ is a-umlaut, and <ium/ is i-umlaut, etc.
These delimiters are used in preference to the HTML-style
(e.g. ä) delimiters because of the heavy use of ampersands in
the dictionary, to minimize file length. For the same reason,
the codes within the delimiters are generally shorter than the
corresponding ISO 8879 codes ( <aum/ rather than ä ).
For this discussion, I will use the "entity" coding. The
equivalent hexadecimal codes, where they exist, will be found in
the tables in the file "webfont.asc".
The pronunciation system of the 1913 Webster has three peculiarities
relative to systems used in recent dictionaries.
(1) a more complex set of symbols are used. This is evident, for
example, where the long vowels have different symbols whether
they are used in stressed or unstressed syllables. Thus
long a in "acre" or "chaos"is represented as a-macron (<amac/ in
our notation). But in "chaotic" or "connate" or "comate" it is
represented as a symbol looking like a-macron, but with a short
ascender in the middle of the macron above the a. This is denoted
<asl/ ("a semilong") in our notation.
Also, some sounds have more than one symbol. Thus, there are several
symbols using "y" with a diacritical mark above, representing
identical sounds using "i" or "e", but used in those cases where the
written word has a "y" in it. So words ending in "y" with
pronunciations like the unaccented long "e" usually have
a y-breve (<ycr/) in the pronunciation. Why? Apparently,
just to look more like the spelling. In these cases its
meaning is unambuiguous.
(2) The indicated pronunciations themselves are in some cases
different from what one would find in a modern dictionary.
In part this is due to differences among orthoepists with
different notions of how a word should sound, and possibly
it is due to differences in the pronunciation between 1890,
when British pronunciations may have had more influence, and
the present. Thus we see that words ending in -"ties",
which are given the pronunciation "-t<icr/z", which sounds
like "tizz", whereas I have always heard such words pronounced
with a long "e", as in "teez" (and most modern dictionaries
give it the long-e pronunciation. In Webster's 10th collegiate,
they mention that unstressed long e may be pronounced as i in
southern British or southern US dialects, and perhaps it
was more common in the US in 1890. The <icr/ is an unreliable
indicator of modern standard American pronunciation. A long-e
pronunciation on the antepenult is also sometimes given an
<icr/ symbol in this dictionary.
(3) The indefinite value, represented by an upside-down e (called
the "schwa" is not used, the same sound being represented by
symbols like short u <ucr/, or sometimes other vowels.
So be warned, the pronunciations may not be quite what one would
expect. But for the first phase of this effort, we are trying
to reproduce exactly the pronuciations in the original work.
Notice that in pronunciations, vowels that are obscured are often
represented by the italicised vowel without any diacritical marks;
these italicised vowels are represented as either <ait/, <eit/, etc.
or with an <it> tag, as in m<it>e</it>nt
Thus "Christian" is represented as kr<icr/s"ch<it>a</it>n
communicant is represented as k<ocr/m*m<umac/"n<icr/*k<ait/nt
Some examples of pronunciations follow:
for further explanations of the entities, see the file "webfont.asc"
==============================================================
<amac/ long a (stressed) (a with a macron above it)
late = l<amac/t
later = l<amac/t"<etil/r
comb-shaped = k<omac/m"-sh<amac/pt`
commemorate = k<ocr/m*m<ecr/m"<osl/*r<amac/t
deign = d<amac/n
deflate = d<esl/*fl<amac/t"
defray = d<esl/*fr<amac/"
defrayal = d<esl/*fr<amac/"<ait/l
<asl/ long a (unstressed)
commodate = k<ocr/m"m<osl/*d<asl/t
cometary = k<ocr/m"<ecr/t*<asl/*r<ycr/
<ait/ italic a
communicant = k<ocr/m*m<umac/"n<icr/*k<ait/nt
defeasance = d<esl/*f<emac/"z<ait/ns
commercial = k<ocr/m*m<etil/r"sh<ait/l
compass = k<ucr/m"p<ait/s
<acr/ short a (a with a crescent [breve] above it)
adipose = <acr/d"<icr/*p<omac/s
absolve = <acr/b*s<ocr/lv"
land = l<acr/nd
lamp = l<acr/mp
<adot/ short a (a with a dot above it)
again = <adot/*g<ecr/n"
carouse = k<adot/*rouz"
coma = k<omac/"m<adot/
comma = k<ocr/m"m<adot/ | *These sound different
command = k<ocr/m*m<adot/nd" | to me
mass = m<adot/s
mash = m<adot/sh
mat = m<adot/t
<acir/ a-circumflex ("only in syllables closed by r")
care = k<acir/r
chair = ch<acir/r
share = sh<acir/r
compare = k<ocr/m*p<acir/r"
<aum/ a-umlaut (in pronunciations not the same as in words)
arsenic = <aum/r"s<esl/*n<icr/k
arson = <aum/r"s'n
arm = <aum/rm
carp = k<aum/rp
far = f<aum/r
mar = m<aum/r
compart = k<ocr/m*p<aum/rt"
compartment = k<ocr/m*p<aum/rt"m<eit/nt
<add/ a double dot ( with a double dot *below*)
all = <add/l
talk = t<add/k
swarm = sw<add/rm [not aum??]
water = w<add/"t<etil/r
default = d<esl/*f<add/lt"
defraud = d<esl/*fr<add/d"
deerstalker = d<emac/r"st<add/k`<etil/r
<ecr/ short e (e with a crescent [breve] above it)
degenerate = d<esl/*j<ecr/n"<etil/r*<amac/t
delve = d<ecr/lv
end = <ecr/nd
pet = p<ecr/t
ten = t<ecr/n
<esl/ long e (unstressed)
committee = k<ocr/m*m<icr/t"t<esl/
defame = d<esl/*f<amac/m"
define = d<esl/*f<imac/n"
comedy = k<ocr/m"<esl/*d<ycr/
<eit/ e italic
compartment = k<ocr/m*p<aum/rt"m<eit/nt
-ment = -"m<eit/nt (for most -ment endings)
<emac/ e macron (long e, stressed)
compeer = k<ocr/m*p<emac/r"
deer = d<emac/r"
<etil/ e-tilde
(representing the e before r in many words)
(for the same sound in -ur words, <ucir/ is used!)
fern = f<etil/rn
commercial = k<ocr/m*m<etil/r"sh<ait/l
commerce = k<ocr/m"m<etil/rs
<icr/ short i (i with a crescent [breve] above it)
Note: In most cases, this is used where the
short i sound of "lip" is intended, but it is
also used in the middle of words where Americans
use an unstressed long "e" sound, (as the
"i" in "serial" and "serious")!?
and also in words ending in "ies",
coded as "<icr/z" (as in liberties)
lip = l<icr/p
pin = p<icr/n
commission = k<ocr/m*m<icr/sh"<ucr/n
committal = k<ocr/m*m<icr/t"t<ait/l
*serial = s<emac/"r<icr/*<ait/l
*serious = s<emac/"r<icr/*<ucr/s
liberty = l<icr/b"<etil/r*t<ycr/
*but: liberties = l<icr/b"<etil/r*t<icr/z
<imac/ i-macron (long i, stressed) (i with a macron above it)
combine = k<ocr/m*b<imac/n"
combined = k<ocr/m*b<imac/"nd
<isl/ long i (unstressed)
diameter = d<isl/*<acr/m"<esl/*t<etil/r
diagonal = d<isl/*<acr/g"<osl/*n<ait/l
<ocr/ short o (o with a crescent [breve] above it)
colossus = k<osl/*l<ocr/s"s<ucr/s
commute = k<ocr/m*m<umac/t"
<omac/ o-macron (long o, stressed) (o with a macron above it)
boat = b<omac/t
colt = k<omac/lt
comb = k<omac/m
combing = k<omac/m"<icr/ng
commode = k<ocr/m*m<omac/d"
course = k<omac/rs
<ocir/ o-circumflex ("only in syllables closed by r")
orb = <ocir/rb
lord = l<ocir/rd
lordship = l<ocir/rd"sh<icr/p
lorn = l<ocir/rn
cord = k<ocir/rd
commorse = k<ocr/m*m<ocir/rs"
deform = d<esl/*f<ocir/rm"
deformed = d<esl/*f<ocir/rmd"
dehortative = d<esl/*h<ocir/rt"<adot*t<icr/v
<osl/ "o semilong" (long o, unstressed)
diagonal = d<isl/*<acr/g"<osl/*n<ait/l
dejectory = d<esl/*j<ecr/k"t<osl/*r<ycr/
<oomac/ oo-macron (an oo with a macron above both o's)
boom = b<oomac/m
boot = b<oomac/t
boost = b<oomac/st
commove = k<ocr/m*m<oomac/v"
<oomcr/ oo-crescent (an oo with a crescent [breve] above both o's)
foot = f<oocr/t
cook = k<oocr/k
<umac/ u macron (long u)
commute = k<ocr/m*m<umac/t"
definitude = d<esl/*f<icr/n"<icr/*t<umac/d
communicant = k<ocr/m*m<umac/"n<icr/*k<ait/nt
defuse = d<esl/*f<umac/z"
<ucr/ short u (u with a crescent [breve] above it)
come = k<ucr/m
color = k<ucr/l"<etil/r
colored = k<ucr/l"<etil/rd
Columbia = k<osl/*l<ucr/m"b<icr/*<adot/
up = <ucr/p
<ycr/ y-crescent (y with a crescent [breve] above it)
used mostly for y-endings (supposed to sound similar to <icr/!!)
sounds to me like an unstressed long e
comedy = k<ocr/m"<esl/*d<ycr/
comely = k<ucr/m"l<ycr/
liberty = l<icr/b"<etil/r*t<ycr/
<ymac/ y-macron (y with a macron above it)
used to represent the long i (stressed) sound, but
examples in pronunciations seem to be absent. It is
found in some foreign words in the etymologies.
ou the common "ow" sound of "town", "browse"
count = kount
<nsm/ n-submacron (an n with a macron underneath)
represents the "ng" sound when it occurs before a
consonant
defunct = d<esl/*f<ucr/<nsm/kt"
commingle = k<ocr/m*m<icr/<nsm/"g'l
<th/ the "th" sound in "mother"
this is represented in the printed work by a th ligature
carouse = k<adot/*rouz"
zh not a special character, but used to represent the
"si" sound in words like
decision = d<esl/*s<icr/zh"<ucr/n
th the usual sound as in thing and thorn
sh the usual as in ship
ch the usual as in chip
N (capital N) represents the nasal "n" sound of the French language