CONTRACTIONS Any vowel unaccented in a polysyllable may be dropped
Any unaccented syllable of a polysyllable (whether containing i or any other vowel) may sometimes be softened and almost ignored. Thus-- a “Hóld thee, | from thís, | for éver. | The bárb | arousScýthian.” Lear, i. 1. 118. “Sáy by | this tó | ken I' | desíre | his cómpany.” M. for M. iv. 3. 144. ed “With thém | they thínk | on. Thíngs | withoút | all
rémedy.” Macbeth, iii. 2. 11. “Men. Yoú must | retúrn | and ménd | it.
Sen. Thére's | no rémedy.” Coriol. iii. 2. 26; T. N. iii. 4. 367. em “All bró | ken ímple | ments óf | a rú | ined hóuse.” T. of A. iv. 2. 16. “Joín'd with | an énemy | procláim'd; | and fróm | his cóffers.” Hen. V. ii. 2. 168; M. for M. ii. 2. 180; Macb. iii. 1. 105. en “The méss | engers fróm | our sís | ter ánd | the kíng.” Lear, ii. 2. 54. “'Tis dóne | alréa | dy, ánd | the méss | enger góne.” A. and C. iii. 6. 31; A. W. iii. 2. 111. Passenger is similarly used. er “In oúr | last cónference, | páss'd in | probá | tion wíth
you.” Macbeth, iii. 1. 80. es “This ís | his máj | esty, sáy | your mínd | to hím.” A. W. ii. 1. 98. “I thát | am rúde | ly stámped, | and wánt | love's májesty.” Rich. III. i. 1. 16. Majesty is a quasi-dissyllable in Rich. III. i. 3. 1, 19, ii. 1. 75; Rich. II. ii. 1. 141, 147, iii. 2. 113, v. 2. 97, 3. 35; Macbeth, iii. 4. 2, 121. ess “Our púr | pose néc | essary ánd | not én | vious.” J. C. ii. 1. 178. i “Lét us | be sácrific | ers ánd | not bút | chers, Caíus.” Ib. ii. 1. 166. “The ínn | ocent mílk | in ít | most ínn | ocent moúth.” W. T. iii. 2. 101. “There táke | an ín | ventorý | of áll | I háve.” Hen. VIII. iii. 2. 452. ua “Go thóu | to sánctua | ry [sanctu'ry or sanct'ry], ánd | good
thóughts | posséss thee.” Rich. III. iv. 1. 94. “Shall flý | out óf (457 a) | itsélf; | nor sléep | nor sánctuary.” Coriol. i. 10. 19. “Some réad | Alvár | ez' Hélps | to Gráce,
Some Sánctua | ry óf | a tróub | led sóul.” COLVIL'S Whig Supplication, i. 1186 (Walker). u “When lív | ing líght | should kíss | it; 'tís | unnátural.” Macbeth, ii. 4. 10; Hen. V. iv. 2. 13. “Thoughts spécu | latíve | their ún | sure hópes | reláte.” Macbeth, v. 4. 19. “And né | ver líve | to shów | the incrédu | lous wórld.” 2 Hen. IV. iv. 5. 153. “Hów you | were bórne | in hánd, | how cróss'd, | the ínstruments.” Macbeth, iii. 1. 81, iv. 3. 239.
