Guest's Compendious Shorthand

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1883 edition. Excerpt: ... instantaneous recognition and consequently rapid reading, are secured by the use of a black round dot for hard as in the specimen on page 18 in casuist and make (mack)). The dot must not be used for C medially, because it might be read for the neutral vowel (see par. 76). The same mark of double size may be used for Q initially, and in French for final as well as initial Q. These minor characters are exhibited with the other signs of the Auxiliary Alphabet given in the frontispiece. The chart should always be turned out in reading these paragraphs. The Connective Vowels. 84. In the first specimen (page 18) vowels are shown connected to the consonant outlines, as in line 2 (equal terms); line 4 (played); line 5 (a first-class); and line 9 (of a and tide). In violin, and other words, they are indicated by "hiatus," and, in a still more numerous class of words, the vowels are indicated by the ruled lines. The vowels have already been partly described. (See pars. 42, 43, 47, 60, 66, 69, 76, 77.) A thin tick attached in the horizontal, vertical, or right-downward direction may represent an initial vowel. When in the upper position, any of these will represent any of the upper vowels, and in the lower position any lower vowel. The horizontal and vertical ticks may also be attached finally for any vowel, but they may not be employed medially, and are not in that position required, the dot described in par. 76 performing the function of any medial vowel. 85. The diphthongal vowel (c) may also be connected both initially and finally, but not medially; in the upper position it represents the sound of /, when it commences the outline, and in the lower that of oi or ow, but as a final it represents any one of the three sounds. The remaining...