II.) _The historical propriety of certain letters._--The use of _i_ with a diphthongal power is not only singular and inconvenient, but also historically incorrect. The Greek _iota_, from whence it originates, has the sound of _i_ and _ee_, as in _pit_ and _feet_. The _y_, sounded as in _yet_, is historically incorrect. It grew out of the Greek [upsilon], a vowel, and no semivowel. The Danes still use it as such, that is, with the power of the German _ue_. The use of _j_ for _dzh_ is historically incorrect. The use of _c_ for _k_ in words derived from the Greek, as _mechanical_, _ascetic_, &c., is historically incorrect. The form _c_ is the representative of [gamma] and [sigma] and not of the Greek _kappa_. In remodelling alphabets the question of historical propriety should be recognized. Other reasons for the use of a particular letter in a particular sense being equal, the historical propriety should decide the question. The above examples are illustrative, not exhaustive. s. 253. _On certain conventional modes of spelling._--In the Greek language the sounds of _o_ in _not_ and of _o_ in _note_ (although allied) are expressed by the unlike signs or letters [omicron] and [omega], respectively. In most other languages the difference between the sounds is considered too slight to require for its expression signs so distinct and dissimilar. In some languages the difference is neglected altogether. In many, however, it is expressed, and that by some modification of the original letter. Let the sign (-) denote that the vowel over which it stands is long, or independent, whilst the sign (U) indicates shortness, or dependence. In such a case, instead of writing _not_ and _n[omega]t_, like the Greeks, we may write _n[)o]t_ and _n[=o]t_, the sign serving for a fresh letter. Herein the expression of the nature of the sound is natural, because the natural use of (-) and (U) is to express length or shortness, dependence or independence. Now, supposing the broad sound of _o_ {188} to be already represented, it is very evident that, of the other two sounds of _o_, the one must be long (independent), and the other short (dependent); and as it is only necessary to express one of these conditions, we may, if we choose, use the sign (-) alone; its presence denoting length, and its absence shortness (independence or dependence).