THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES ,^&*v*ri~ / t < 8. Q. BAIL' LAWYKR xAS. J [ENTERED AT STATIONERS' HALL. MANUAL OF A SYSTEM OF BRIEF WRITING BY SYLLABIC CHARAC- TERS, BASED ON THE COMMON ALPHABET, AND WRITTEN ACCORDING TO THE SOUNDS OF SPOKEN LANGUAGE. :! isUr. BY JAMES SIMSON, P.S.S.A., GENERAL SECRETARY OF THE SCOTTISH SHORTHAND ASSOCIATION. Systematically prepared for the use of Board Schools, Public Classes, &c. THIRD EDITION. LONDON : J. MALABY, 65 CHANCERY LANE, HOLBORN, W.C. EDINBURGH AND GLASGOW : MENZIES & Co. AND ALL BOOKSELLERS. MDCCCLXXXV. Errata . ,,, , /# X tiv . // V /2 : B <. / ! A \ &- b PREFACE. THE Author considers no apology necessary in issuing a Third Edition of Syllabic Shorthand. As noticed in the Preface to the Second Edition of the system, the First Edition of 500 copies, published in September 1883, was exhausted in six months ; while the fact has now to be noted that, notwith- standing the publication of a Second Edition of 2000 copies in May 1884, a Third Edition is now called for. In compliance with the request of numerous friends and writers of the system, the Author has discarded lithographic work in favour of engraved shorthand type. More justice has thus been done to the beauty and symmetry of the system ; while, owing to the clearness of the characters, the work of the Shorthand Student is rendered all the more easy. An addi- tional advantage in this Edition is to be found in the fact that the whole system is comprehended in one, instead of being spread over several books ; and the complete class-book now published is probably one of the cheapest and highly finished of any Shorthand system ever presented to the public. The Manual may be used either with or without a teacher. Should further and more extended exercises be required, they may be found in the Scottish Shorthand Journal, or be had on application to the Author. ]. S. LONDON, December 1885. [COPYRIGHT.] * - ^ L v x "The pen of a ready writer," PSALMS XLV. i. SYLLABIC SHORTHAND. INTRODUCTORY. IN commencing the study of Syllabic Shorthand the Student will only find himself face to face with 26 letters, given in the order of the ordinary alphabet, which, either in their primary or secondary forms, fully represent all the sounds of the lan- guage. To each sound, moreover, there is but one fixed sign, whereas in Pitman's and other systems there are as a rule from two to four signs for each sound. In Syllabic Shorthand all the alphabetic signs are thin strokes or curves, and owing to this characteristic the system possesses powers which cannot be utilised in an alphabet of alternate thick and thin characters. The system partakes more of the script than the geo- metrical element, a great preponderance of the alphabetic signs being on the slope of the ordinary writing; for instance, ^/ f //(_/$ etc. The thorough blending of the script with the geometrical elenlent tends to greater facility in writing, and in any given passage it will be found that at least 7 5 per cent, of the characters take the easy slope to the right 5 SYLLABIC SHORTHAND. In dispensing with detached vowel signs, a distinct ad- vance is made on other systems. Vowels may be joined to consonants in full as in 3 ma, V^ pa, x"~}> low ; or may be indicated by the size of the consonant, e.g. Vowel follow- ing, _^ By, S tie; vowel preceding, I in X it. When no other vowel is written J may be understood. It is a generally accepted fact that a thickened stroke is more difficult cf formation than a thin one, and that a lengthened stroke requires more effort than one of normal size. The next step to be taken by the student is consequently a very natural one, viz., that the extra effort required in thick- ening and lengthening implies the addition of a coalescent letter to the primary character, as for instance V_ pr, V^ sp thickening indicating r following and lengthening s preceding. To add coalescent ? , primary thickened curves (in connection with which alone this coalescent is required) are slightly deepened, e.g., \^ pry. Positional writing, and that to a very slight extent, is only used in the .first or corresponding style of the system, and then to indicate medial vowels or secondary consonants, e.g., .ITT. made, ..:.. name. In the reporting style positional writing may be entirely dispensed with. SYLLABIC SHORTHAND. It should be carefully noted that except in very particu- lar words the vowels are never written in full in the reporting style, but the position being always indicated the outlines of words represented may easily be deciphered. This rule is applied from the earliest stages of the system in connection with the alphabetic characters and their modifications, the simplest signs being in all cases given to the most frequently recurring words, so that thus in the course of the first few lessons the student has at his command over 300 familiar and naturally formed words, each written with one dash of the pen. The rules of the system are few and easily remembered, and there being no exceptions, the whole theory may be acquired in half-a-dozen lessons of less than an hour each It has been satisfactorily tested that the system may be learnt and practised with freedom in from three to six weeks, while a speed of 1 50 words per minute has actually been attained in reporting practice within fhree months. SYLLABIC SHORTHAND. Alphabetic Chart. Letter represented Shorthand sign Sound As in Letter represented Shorthand sign Sound As in A * ah fall N I en men B > bee by O O oh mole C ( chay chair P ^- pee poor D ^~ dee dear a kway quey E ee deer i \ ar rare F - ef fear ^ ' / es soon G "S gay give T / tee town H / hay how U o eu use I \ ay high V W vee view J ) ;ay jam W 6- way will K r kay cow X C ex axe L x-x el law Y C yea year M em man Z 3 zee zeal DIPHTHONGS. ff ffi as in boy ; ovu as in COW. CHART II. Indication of Vowels, Coalescent Letters, &c. Con- sonants. Vo- preced- ing. eel follow- ing. T follow- ing. i follow- ing. * preced- ing. s preced. & r fol- lowing. 8 preced. & f fol- lowing. t or rf follow- ing. r pre- ced- ing. B j ^ ^ v) ^/ y J ^ C(Ck\... ( ( ( ^ ( c . ..c.. D ^ x ^ ^- ...y..... V, F. ,. .. , ^ v ; ^ ^ ^^ v / G ^ ^ ^ Ql ">* S -N ^ H. ;.. f ^ / 7 / j ^ S ^ 1 . K ^ ^ <: r ^ f- O r L. . .. ../O .. ^_^ ^s ^_^^ M. _ MM* _ N, I 1 1 1 1 1 I P V. ^ ^ ;C \ ( , s. Q Q- (2 $ o R \ \ \ \ \ \ \ S T.. ^, / / / X V ....V w V / v, ; v || W 6 (s X c* ^ F. c c c Z D D 3s 5 ' ' Double Letters, Prefixes, and Affixes Wh. ^ ^ ^ Th.. . c. r r - 1 r d c c Con or Com /"7; s?' ing ; tion /a \ ment or mend -. SYLLABI Q SHORTHAND. SECTION L i. THE ALPHABET. Practise the Alphabet carefully and frequently giving each sign its fixed sound as In the preceding chart until it is thoroughly committed to memory. Make the consonants about an eighth of an inch in length, particularly noting the slope of the following letters: ^^ T is written at an angle of 45 degrees ; s inclines some 20 degrees more to the perpendicular, and d 20 degrees to the horizontal. Z?, d, k, /, and x are written in an upward direction : c y g, h^j^ n,p, y, r, j, TV,?, and x downward ; f, /, m, and v from left to right. T may be written down when in that direction it effects a more convenient joining with d and other consonants ; and when most convenient, half-size s and n may be written up, and 3, </, z/ } and x down. 2. NORMAL CONSONANTS. All consonants of the normal Or alphabetic si?e indicate a vowel following, e.g. ^/ by / "sigh the vowel i being understood and all silent and redundant letters omitted. Taking all the consonants after which a vowel can be indicated, the following familiar words may be formed : J By, ^- do, v^, fee, ~^ go, / he, ) joy, /"" key, ,^-v law, me, my, | no, Vs - pie, (/ \ rue, / so, x-^ to, \^j vie, / we, (^ yea. 10 SYLLABIC SHORTHAND. 3- HALF SIZE CONSONANTS. Half size consonants indi- cate a vowel preceding, as in / is, 1 in. The following words may be formed as in the preceding exercise : -/ Ebb, ( each, -- aid, add, -" if, \ egg, ) age, (~ ache, s~^ all, am, I in, on, V. up, \ are, or, / is., as, / at, it w eve,, (^ axe. 4. VOWEL AND CONSONANT JOININGS. The whole alpha- bet may be written without lifting the pen, thus ^ In the following exefcise secondary vowels are indicated by a slight thickening ; ^ Bah, ^/ bay, ^s bow, ^ boy, ^^ day, ^~ ' dome, - P foe, ^P few, v^_0_ foam, j gay, "\ gain, "^ gone, i Jim, ^ John, /"*> quo' Co., "^ limb, ^ lone, ^ wrote, ^_ room, <A soul, l~. sill, ^^toll, & woe. 5. WORDS formed by vowels 2 ^ Ah /? ye, \ U o h O y u - Transcribe the following into ordinary longhand : f o O /?> 0.\ /7 A X / ii SYLLABIC SHORTHAND. Pa - pa quo' a good wee boy, r..(will) o -S - i I Cx c t> L ^ v, , SECTION II. 6. POSITIONAL WRITING. Normal consonants written above the line indicate a consonant (generally n) following: , 7**\ . Been, (. chime, r^T^ done, ^~^. for, "^ give-n, . /. . Jesus, t '/y can, come, ^"^. Lord, "77. man, .'. name, ^f. pen, happy, ^/ Queen, \ rather, / sign, Cs^ onfe. 7 HALF-SIZE consonants above the line indicate h orw pre- ceding : ( Which, much, "T! . half, .<~. walk, ^. will, T. . him ,V. hope, / has, his, ^. have, f7 . wax, ; . . was. 8. Above the line the following vowels and diphthongs have a consonant preceding or following: Of, off, who, ^ how 12 SYLLABIC SHORTHAND. 9. When a vowel both precedes and follows a single con- sonant the first one is written in full : Any, (^ abbey, c alley. lo. . DlSYLLABLES : _-7 Beauty, /^ dolly, ^ folly, I many, V^ penny, 0~~ roomy, N rainy, ^^~~ Tommy, Johnny, Transcribe the following exercise : ... x ^ i . c Come weal or woe, hope on, I say, .i.tnot)/ ^\ - ) i C? 6/ ^ ..'.- 6 SECTION III. 1 1 COALESCENT CONSONANTS. Consonants of normal size, when thickened, have r following, e.g >- pry, r cry , and thickened curves, when slightly deepened, have 1 following, as in C, ply When a vowel precedes it is written in full, as in \ 13 SYLLABIC SHORTHAND. error ; and when the coalescent character is written on the line the vowel is understood to follow . _*S Bray, " dry, draw, "> ' fry, very "^ grey, /^~ cry, S^ pray, pry, ^ try, true. ' Blow, {J fly, O clue, Lx 7 play. 12 MEDIAL VOWELS. Thickened consonants when written above the line have a medial vowel indicated, as in _s bear , \ chair , *^ Dr., dear ; ^~^. fear, from ; "^ gear, great , / jeer, jury ; /^Christ, care ; *^" "^ letter ; ~~~~ Mr, more , / nor, near ; y^ peer, power , / sir ; ^ tear, truth ; (^ were C- year, your ; J zero , ^ Bill , V^ fill, evil ; ^ glad, glory ; O called , Cx pill, 13 DOUBLE SIZE CONSONANTS. Double consonants, V whether light or thickened, have a preceding, as in x spy, ^^ stay In accordance with paragraph 11., when the characters are written on the line the vowel is understood to follow / shy, she , /" sky , x "~~~Xsly ; snow : X.^ spy n / squa V^ /sway ,f^ screw ; V.^ spray , ^^ stray. stay , 14 As in paragraph 12, medial vowels, are indicated when the characters are above the line 14 SYLLABIC SHORTHAND. ~ - - sob ; \ such ; r-T".""^ said ; ''' safe, save ; ; J signify ; / wish, shall ; J sage ; /" seek, sake ; soul , some, same ; :V sap. sin, seen : V sap, special ; sire ; / cease ; ^ sit : \ sex ; / size, seize ; ^/ sober ; 1 searcher ; ^^^sadder , v * ^-^safer, saviour ; \ signature ; / sure, short ; J sager ; / seeker, sacred ; /^"^^ailor, slur ; ______ summer ; I sinner, sooner . \^ supper, spirit ; //squire ^/swear , \^/ sable ; ( sickle; ( spell, supply. 15 EXERCISE FOR TRANSCRIPTION. 1~>S Last ' summer o wrote / Lucy (home') .^.(wltJi) J / ( . f .V.. O^'^ '^goodjX' X ! s """ .-.(him) / \ .'..(much) SECTION IV. 16 COALESCENTS (continued! Consonants reduced to one half the normal size and thickened have i or d following, e.g. SYLLABIC SHORTHAND. t etched. When written on the line the vowel is understood to precede. J Ebbed ; ( etched ; - aided ; ^> after, oft ; / aged, f ached ; ^ ailed, old ; aimed ; | and ; V> apt, aped ; / is it, as it ; / at it ; / eased ; 3 oozed. ABOVE THE LINE. .<*. but ; V chat, cheat , /^ did, debt ; .*"[ . fed ; ..^.. God, good ; on line/- , "\ getting * / had ; jet ; /. . could ; "^. . led ; ~ made, meeting; ... not; ... . put, paid; ' t quite, quiet : reading ; \ writing (on line) ; .. taught : ^ would ; < yet.. 1 8 Consonants reduced to one fourth the normal size and thickened have r preceding, thus J orb, c arch, ^ argue, ) urge ; f ark ; * earl ; - arm ; f earn, s art. ABOVE THE LINE . . . herb ; ... word ; ... work ; large-r ; ... world ; ... warm., harm ; -worn harp. 19 SYLLABIC SIGNS The following are amongst the most necessary signs C z/A, as in with ; ^ thy as in thy : C/ why, as in why ; f^ con or compend ; /J ing as 16 SYLLABIC SHORTHAND. in \j knowing ; ment or tnend, as in ailment, /^v ... compend S /& tion or sion as in fe mention; definite article x ^ expressed by reducing t to a mere tick. Most of the above pass thro' the same modifications as the alphabetic signs. 20 Disyllables and Trisyllables f whereby ; ^~^ wherefore ; V wherever ; ^^ - whatever , '7 whatsoever ; v~>_.x therefore ; // nothing ; ZI? something ; \^^ jt */ s thereby;/" ^ continue ; /^~~ continuation; /iL. cem- mandment ; ^^ ^whispering ;/^ scholarly ;l ^insular ; - ^- simplify , V^r^ practise N^^ _^/ persevere. SECTION V. 21 Where secondary or obscure consonants are found to interfere with the Syllabic element they may be left understood, thus c ^_ number, *^"^ stamped, - ^- .^ celestial, \^\ certainly, / N singular (~^ Cahdnism ^^) reasonable y charger | inventor '^^ translator, _J// bank- ruptcy ^-^ bankrupt central. 22 In accordance with the preceding rule the aspirate may 17 SYLLABIC SHORTHAND. be left out of many words to suit convenience of outline, as in ; i^ > - Shorthand -/ underhand L, annihilate U ; i^ unhealthy . unholy. 23 To preserve lineal writing practise the alternate " up and down " motion as in longhand, e.g., sf ^7 "^ / -^ <-/ "It is by no means so bad as that." In pursuance of the same object avoid going more than one remove above or below the line ../. .... V^> /^^~7 " as ' l ' s not P r P er to do so." To further facilitate swift writing tr and dr (up) may be written light, but slightly larger than the normal size ^-^^^/r, distinguished from the other sizes thus -^ //, ^ to s tr s j/ / i/r 24 PREFIXES AND AFFIXES. A whole syllable may be expressed by the initial letter of the syllable when detached-- Q thyself O/ themselves / yourself ; '"/ Lord- / y^T^ ship [sf worship/^^steamship 25 The Scotch guttural, as in loch^ is expressed by the sign for ch \ . SECTION VI. 26 Phraseography is simply the joining of familiar words 18 SYLLABIC SHORTHAND. in easily-connected groups or phrases The following consist of grouped logograms, and many more may be formed in the same manner / < _S by the 9 by a l> and the k and a ; tOofa; *-t if the fr as the ; u lam; I I may; ^ I will ; sf it is ; ,s to the L as my ^ it may / , it may not ; ^/ so that J is that ; &^ you can ; crvXyou will be , ^ as a ; / as the ; / as it ; is it ; / / as is ; as it is ; \/ in the j h in a ; V? or a ; V *'/',-'/ S / or the ; / shall the shall be ; 2s should be ; s shall not C_^ there is C th^at 27-<In phrasing "of may be omitted, as in House of S^ Lords {? ^jHouse of Commons ff ; Houses of Parliament 28 Phrases may be formed in two ways, viz., x ^^ it ' s a good day ; or, *^7 ^ Syllabic Shorthand. The latter style is particularly reserved for two important words coming together, and which may easily be recognised by striking the first syllable of the second word thro" the sign representing the first word *r* Temperance Society /f Sheriff Court /- ^/ Established Church ; f\ ' Church of Scotland Free Church. 29 W may be written small for convenience in joining, as 19 SYLLABIC SHORTHAND. in S weary ; j wander Before curves <$ ^ Willy 6 Walker Before upward strokes full-size without an angle, x*- wisdom. 30 In phraseography, positional writing has to be dis- pensed with, as also throughout the full reporting style. READING EXERCISE. In the beginning was the Word ; And the Word '.; C . > v * ^ ^ ~ . * V ^ c ^ , , _ ^ (s _ ^/- _ , 3 ) ' O ^> > _ (/ - <= 3 ^ / / 1_ WRITING EXERCISE. PHRASEOGRAMS ARE INDICATED BY A HYPHEN. Fingal, Jike-a beam from Heaven, stood in-the midst of-his people His heroes gather aronhd him, and-he sends forth-the voice of-his power : Raise my standards on high Spread them on 20 SYLLABIC SHORTHAND. Lena's wind, like-the flames of-an hundred hills. Let-them sound on-the winds of Erin, and remind us of-the fight. Ye sons of-the roaring streams, that pour from-a thousand hills, be near to-the King of Morven, attend to-the words of-his power. Gaul, strongest arm of death ! O, Oscar of-the future fights ; Connal, son of-the blue blades of Lora ; Dermid of-the dark-brown hair ; and Ossian, king of many songs, be near your father's arm. We reared the sunbeam of battle the standard of-the king. Each hero's soul exulted with joy, as, waving, it flew on-the wind. It-was studded with gold above, as the blue, wide shell of-the mighty sky. Each hero had his standard, too, and each his gloomy men. Behold, said the King of generous shells, how Lochlin divides on Lena. They stand like broken clouds on-the hill, or-an half-consumed grove of oaks when-we see the sky passing through its branches and-the meteor passing behind ! The people of-their country fell, for bloody were-the blue blades of-the race of-my heroes. But-I-am sad, forlorn, and blind, and no-more-the companion of heroes. Give, lovely maid, to-me thy tears, for-I have seen-the tombs of-all my-friends. SYLLABIC SHORTHAND. THE PAUPER'S DEATH (" FROM LOVED AND LOST ") Draw nigh I 0> X_ tread lightly, and you'll see a pauper die C ^-< 22 SYLLABIC SHORTHAND. READING EXERCISE. LORD BEACONSFIELD'S MAIDEN SPEECH. U--T s> ^ __^-i -? J I \J SYLLABIC SHORTHAND. WRITING EXERCISE. " DEATH," BY BLAIR. Children of men, it is well-known to you that you are all a mortal race. Death is the law of your nature, the tribute of your being, the duty which you are all bound to pay. On these terms you received life that you should be ready to give it up when Providence calls you to make room for others, who, in like manner, when their time is come, shall follow you. He who is unwilling to submit to Death when Heaven decrees it deserves not to have lived. You may as reasonably complain that you did not live before the time appointed for your coming into the world, as lament that you are not to live longer when the period for quitting it has arrived. What Divine Providence hath made necessary human prudence ought to comply with cheerfully. Submit at any rate you must, and is it not better to follow of your own accord than to be dragged reluctantly and by force ? What privilege have you to plead, and what reason to urge, why you should possess an exemption from the common doom ? But you are mortal and perishing. Cities, states, and empires have their periods set, the proudest monuments of human art moulder into dust, even the works of Nature wax old and decay. In the midst of this universal tendency to change can you expect that to your frame alone a permanency should be given. All that have gone before you have submitted to the stroke of Death ; all who come after you shall undergo the same fate. The great and the good, the prince and the peasant, the renowned and the obscure, travel alike the road which leads to the grave. At the moment when you expire, thousands throughout the world shall with you be yielding up their breath. 24 SYLLABIC SHORTHAND READING EXERCISE. EXTRACT FROM "OssiAN. 1 . / , / V [ ' *--/ . . SYLLABIC SHORTHAND. WRITING EXERCISE. LORD BEACONSFIELD'S MAIDEN SPEECH. I trust the House will extend to me that gracious indulgence which is usually allowed to one who solicits its attention for the first time. I have, however, had sufficient experience of the critical spirit which pervades the House to know and to feel how much I stand in need of that indulgence an indulgence of which I will prove myself to be not unworthy, by promising not to abuse it. Now, why smile ? Why envy me ? . . . I am not at all surprised at the reception which I have experienced. I have begun several times many things, and I have often succeeded at last. / will sit down now ; but the time will come when you will hear me ! 26 SYLLABIC ^SHORTHAND READING EXERCISE Cv, s <\ C c / o o V o 27 , UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY Los Angeles This book is DUE on the last date stamped below. Form L9-25m-9,'47(A5618)444 ;^id^