A Little Book of French Grammar, Translated into Latin

tion, and for lengthening the preceding syllable: such as Alumette, Brunette. When, however, it is at the end of a word, and the following word begins with a consonant, it is not pronounced; such as, Ils sont bons, as if you were writing Ils son bons. But it is not pronounced in the conjunction et either, such as A toy et à luy, as if you were writing and pronouncing with an open mouth, e à luy, without moving the tongue.

v

v Sometimes it is a consonant for us, especially at the beginnings of words: such as in these words, Va, Vain, venir, Visiter, Volupté, vuider, Environner, Envahir, Enveloper.

x

x It is pronounced as in Latin, except at the end of a word: for then it is pronounced as s. Indeed, some write s in that place where the ancients wrote x in certain words: such as Enuieux, Voix, Noix, Canaux. Which they seem to have done so that it would not be said Enuie-us, vo-is, No-is, Cana-us. Which x, in order to form the feminine of the word in which it is placed (if it can be formed at all), is turned into s, such as Enuieux, Enuieuse: Amoureux, Amoureuse.

Y

Y It is pronounced as i. Our ancestors used this letter not only in French words descending from Greek, as the Latins also did, Hydropique, Hypocrisie: but also when i was the beginning of a French word, and solely without a consonant constituted a syllable, such as Yuroye, Yuer, Yure: because y has such a shape that it cannot be joined to the following letter. Furthermore, when in the middle