x. The insertion of a parasitic _e_ in connexion with _r_, and especially between _v_ and _r_, is a recognized feature of the Anglo-Norman dialect. Examples of this in our texts are _avera_, _devera_, _saveroit_, _coverir_, _deliverer_, _overir_, _vivere_, _livere_, _oevere_, _overage_, _povere_, _yvere_, &c. As a rule this _e_ is not sounded as a syllable in the metre, and in most of these words there is an alternative spelling, e.g. _avra_, _savra_, _covrir_, _delivrer_, _ovrir_, _vivre_, _oevre_, &c., but it is not necessary to reduce them to this wherever the _e_ is mute. Less usually the syllable counts in the verse, e.g. _overaigne_ in _Mir._ 3371, _overage_ 8914, _enyverer_ 16448, _avera_ 18532, _deveroit_, _beveroit_ in 20702 ff. _viverai_, _vivera_ in _Bal._ iv.* 1, _Mir._ 3879, _descoverir_ in _Bal._ ix. 1. xi. About the consonants not much need be said. (_a_) Initial _c_ before _a_ varies in some words with _ch_, as _caccher_, _caitif_, _camele_, _camp_, _carboun_, _castell_, _catell_, by the side of _chacer_, _chaitif_, _chameal_, _champ_, _charboun_, _chastel_, _chateaux_; cp. _acater_, _achater_. Before _e_, _i_, we find sometimes an interchange of _c_ and _s_, as in _ce_ for _se_ in _Mir._ 1147, _Bal._ xviii. 3; _c’il_ for _s’il_ in _Mir._ 799 &c.; and, on the other hand, _sent_ for _cent_ in _Bal._ xli. 2, _si_ for _ci_ in the title of the _Cinkante Balades_, _sil_ for _cil_ in _Bal._ xlii. 3, _sercher_ for _cercher_ in _Mir._ 712 &c., also _s_ for _sc_ in _septre_, _sintille_, and _sc_ for _s_ in _scilence_. (_b_) We find often _qant_, _qe_, _qelle_, _qanqe_, &c., for _quant_, _que_, &c., and, on the other hand, the spelling _quar_ for the more usual _car_. In words like _guaign_, _guaire_, _guaite_, _guarant_, _guarde_, _guarir_, _guaster_, _u_ is very frequently omitted before _a_, also occasionally before other vowels, as _gile_, 21394, for _guile_: _w_ is used in _warder_, _rewarder_, _way_. (_c_) The doubling of single consonants, especially _l_, _m_, _n_, _p_, _s_, is frequent and seems to have no phonetic significance. Especially it is to be observed that _ss_ for _s_ at the end of a word makes no difference to the quantity or quality of the syllable, thus, whether the word be _deces_ or _decess_, _reles_ or _reless_, _engres_ or _engress_, _bas_ or _bass_, _las_ or _lass_, _huiss_ or _huis_, the pronunciation and the rhyme are the same. The final _s_ was sounded in both cases, and not more when double than when single. The doubling of _r_ in futures and conditionals, as _serray_, _dirray_, &c., belongs to the Norman dialect.