DIPHTHONG

(Yunanca köken — orijinale bakınız.) has usually been defined to be a double vowel, or the union of two vowels pronounced together, so as only to make one syllable. If, however, this definition be more narrowly examined, it will be found to be deficient in two of the most e ential qualities of a good definition— precision and accuracy. If, says Mr. Walker, a diphthong be two vowel sounds in succe ion, they must nece arily form two syllables, and therefore by the very definition cannot be a diphthong: if il be such a mixture of two vowels as to form but one simple sound, it is improperly called a diphthong; nor can any such simple mixture exist. Perhaps the best definition of a diphthong, although even that is tar from embracing all the peculiarities of this cla of letters, is to be found in Smith's Scheme fur a French and English Dictionary, to which we beg to refer the reader. DIPHYAN.S, Diphyes. (Yunanca köken — orijinale bakınız.) A family of Acelaphans, comprehending those singular species in which two distinct individuals are always conjoined, one being lodged in the concavity of another. [s. 363]