With these preliminary notices we may exhibit the system of the sixteen mutes; having previously determined the meaning of two fresh terms, and bearing in mind what was said concerning the words sharp and flat, continuous and explosive. _Lene and aspirate._--From the sound of _p_ in _pat_, the sound of _f_ in _fat_ differs in a certain degree. This difference is not owing to a difference in their sharpness or flatness. Each is sharp. Neither is it owing to a difference in their continuity or explosiveness; although, at the first glance, such might appear to be the case. _F_ is continuous, whilst _p_ is explosive. _S_, however, is continuous, and _s_, in respect to the difference under consideration, is classed not with _f_ the continuous sound but with _p_ the explosive one. I am unable to account for the difference between _p_ and _f_. It exists: it is visible. It has been expressed by a term. _P_ is called _lene_, _f_ is called _aspirate_. As _f_ is to _p_ so is _v_ to b. As _v_ is to _b_ so is _th_ to _t_. As _th_ is to _t_ so is _dh_ to d. As _dh_ is to _d_ so is _[kappa]_ to _k_. As _[kappa]_ is to _k_ so is _[gamma]_ to _g_. As _[gamma]_ is to _g_ so is _[sigma]_ to _s_. As _[sigma]_ is to _s_ so is _[zeta]_ to _z_. Hence _p_, _b_, _t_, _d_, _k_, _g_, _s_, _z_, are _lene_; _f_, _v_, _th_, _dh_, _[kappa]_, _[gamma]_, _[sigma]_, _[zeta]_, are _aspirate_. Also _p_, _f_, _t_, _th_, _k_, _[kappa]_, _s_, _[sigma]_, are _sharp_, whilst _b_, _v_, _d_, _dh_, _g_, _[gamma]_, _z_, _[zeta]_, are _flat_; so that there is a double series of relationship capable of being expressed as follows:-- _Lene_. _Aspirate_. _Sharp_. _Flat_. _Sharp_. _Flat_. _p_ _b_ _f_ _v_ _t_ _d_ _th_ _dh_ _k_ _g_ _[kappa]_ _[gamma]_ _s_ _z_ _[sigma]_ _[zeta]_ _Sharp_. _Flat_. _Lene_. _Aspirate_. _Lene_. _Aspirate_ _p_ _f_ _b_ _v_ _t_ _th_ _d_ _dh_ _k_ _[kappa]_ _g_ _[gamma]_ _s_ _[sigma]_ _z_ _[zeta]_ {147} I am not familiar enough with the early grammarians to know when the terms _lene_ and _aspirate_ were first used. They were the Latin equivalents to the Greek words [Greek: psilon] (_psilon_) and [Greek: dasu] (_dasy_) respectively. The Greek terms are preferable. _They_ convey no determinate idea, whereas the Latin terms convey a false one. The origin of the word aspirate I imagine to be as follows. The Latin language, wanting both the sound of the Greek _theta_, and the sign to express it (_[theta]_) rendered it by _th_. This orthography engenders the false notion that _[theta]_ differed from _[tau]_ by the addition of the aspirate _h_. To guard against similar false notions, I rarely hereafter use the word aspirate without qualifying it by the addition of the adjective _so-called_.