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:
“A good book is the plectrum with which our else silent lyres are struck.”
—Henry David Thoreau (18171862)
“My spelling is Wobbly. Its good spelling but it Wobbles, and the letters get in the wrong places.”
—A.A. (Alan Alexander)
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—Woodrow Wilson (18561924)