Kitap 1
7.13
I have already spoken of the interchange of letters I. iv. 12–17. and need not repeat my remarks here: perhaps their pronunciation corresponded with their spelling.
7.14
For a long time the doubling of semivowels was avoided, e.g. iusi was written for iussi. while down to the time of Accius and beyond, long syllables were indicated by repetition of the vowel.
7.15
The practice of joining e and i as in the Greek diphthong ει lasted longer: it served to distinguish cases and numbers, for which we may compare the instructions of Lucilius: The boys are come: why then, their names must end With e and i to make them more than one; and later— If to a thief and liar ( mendaci furique ) you would give, In e and i your thief must terminate. But this addition of e is quite superfluous, since t can be long no less than short:
7.16
it is also at times inconvenient. For in those words which end in i and have e as their last letter but one, we shall on this principle have to write e twice: I refer to words such as aurei or argentei and the like.
