Silent Letters At End of Root
The rule is expressed in spelling of the verbs, but is actually related to pronunciation. So if the spelled root ends in a silent letter, this letter should be ignored in applying the rule. This includes also the apostrophe ⟨'⟩ occurring in some verb spellings.
For example:
| Infinitive | Inf. pronunc. | Verb root | Past simple | Past simple pronunc. | Past participle | Past ptc. pronunc. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| timen (to time) | /ˈtɑimə(n)/ | time | ik timede | /ˈtɑimdə/ | getimed | /ɣəˈtɑimt/ |
| racen (to race) | /ˈreːsə(n)/ | race | ik racete | /ˈreːstə/ | geracet | /ɣəˈreːst/ |
| deleten (to delete) | /diˈliːtə(n)/ | delete | ik deletete | /diˈliːtə/ | gedeletet | /ɣədiˈliːt/ |
| sms'en (to send a text message) | /ɛsɛmˈɛsə(n)/ | sms | ik sms'te | /ɛsɛmˈɛstə/ | ge-sms't | /ɣə(ʔ)ɛsɛmˈɛst/ |
| gsm'en (to phone using a mobile phone) | /ɣeːɛsˈɛmə(n)/ | gsm | ik gsm'de | /ɣeːɛsˈɛmdə/ | ge-gsm'd | /ɣəɣeːɛsˈɛmt/ |
| petanquen (to play pétanque) | /peːˈtɑŋkə(n)/ | petanque | ik petanquete | /peːˈtɑŋktə/ | gepetanquet | /ɣəpeːˈtɑŋkt/ |
Read more about this topic: 't Kofschip
Famous quotes containing the words silent, letters and/or root:
“They mustn’t know my despair, I can’t let them see the wounds which they have caused, I couldn’t bear their sympathy and their kind-hearted jokes, it would only make me want to scream all the more. If I talk, everyone thinks I’m showing off; when I’m silent they think I’m ridiculous; rude if I answer, sly if I get a good idea, lazy if I’m tired, selfish if I eat a mouthful more than I should, stupid, cowardly, crafty, etc. etc.”
—Anne Frank (1929–1945)
“After the planet becomes theirs, many millions of years will have to pass before a beetle particularly loved by God, at the end of its calculations will find written on a sheet of paper in letters of fire that energy is equal to the mass multiplied by the square of the velocity of light. The new kings of the world will live tranquilly for a long time, confining themselves to devouring each other and being parasites among each other on a cottage industry scale.”
—Primo Levi (1919–1987)
“Flower in the crannied wall,
I pluck you out of the crannies,
I hold you here, root and all, in my hand,
Little flower—but if I could understand
What you are, root and all, and all in all,
I should know what God and man is.”
—Alfred Tennyson (1809–1892)