s. 111. ACCENTUATION. The above sections explain most of the more difficult points in the scansion of Chaucer, and should enable the student to scan most of the lines. But it is necessary to add a few words as regards his system of accentuation, elision, contraction, and other noteworthy points. ACCENT. Most words of native origin are to be accented as in modern English; as _f['a]der_, _wr['y]ting_, _h['o]lier_, _pl['o]wman_, _['u]pright_, _ar['y]sen_, _alm['i]ghty_, _mish['a]p_. In words like _s['e]emli[`e]ste_, _o['u]tryd[`e]re_, the secondary accent was stronger than at present, especially when the final _-e_ was sounded. But many compound words, and some others, have a variable accent, being also used with an accent on a later syllable than in modern English; as, _answ['e]re_, _forh['e]ed_, _upr['i]ght_, _manh['o]od_, _wind['o]we_, _gladn['e]sse_, _godd['e]sse_, _wryt['i]ng_, _bod['y]_. This usage is frequent, and must always be borne in mind. Words of French origin commonly have their accent on a later syllable than at present; as _vict['o]rie_, _hon['o]ur_, _pit['e]e_, _vert['u]_, _mir['a]cle_, _nat['u]re_, _man['e]re_, _contr['a]rie_, _[`i]mposs['i]ble_, _[`a]ccept['a]ble_, _d[`e]ceyv['a]ble_; and even _adv['o]cat_, _d[`e]sir['o]us_. Such accents are usually due to the etymology; cf. Lat. _uert['u]tem_, _nat['u]ra_. But as the English method inclined towards throwing the accent further back, such words were peculiarly liable to receive an English accent; hence we also find _h['o]nour_, _p['i]tee_, _v['e]rtu_, _n['a]ture_, _m['a]nere_; and, in general, the English habit has so prevailed in modern speech, that the original accentuation of these words has been lost. It must evidently be restored, for the purpose of reading Chaucer aright. This change of accent even affected the number of syllables. Thus _man['e]r[:e]_ is trisyllabic, but _m['a]nere_ is dissyllabic. In the latter case the scribes frequently write _maner_; but are not consistent in this. Hence the fact has to be remembered. Words now ending in _-ion_ end, in Chaucer, in _-i-[`o]un_, which is dissyllabic, with a secondary accent on _-oun_. Cases in which the suffix _-ioun_ is melted, as it were, into one syllable, are very rare; however, we find _cond['i]cion_ for _condici-oun_ in B 99; and _religioun_ in G 427 is really _rel['i]gion_. As this agrees with the modern method, it is readily understood. s. 112. ELISION. The general rules for elision and the slurring of light syllables are given above, in s. 67. For examples of elision of final _-e_, see _droght'_, A 2; _couth'_, A 14; _nyn'_, A 24; _['a]ventur'_, A 25; _tym'_, A 35; _Alisaundr'_, A 51; _Gernad'_, A 56; _n['o]bl'_, A 60; _mek'_, A 69; _lat'_, A 77; _whyt'_, A 90; _long'_, A 93; _sitt'_, A 94; _Iust'_, A 96; _purtr['e]y'_, A 96; _coud'_, A 106[76].