ABSTRACT
The same raising of short e to i before a nasal which is seen in barren, challenge appears fairly often in the en-and em-prefixes as pronounced by Sheridan. Thus, enhance, enclosure, encomium, enchant, embalm, etc. Sheridan gives as in-, it1f-· In commenting on this variation, Walker says: •.. this affinity [between e and i] is no where more remarkable than in those words where the e is followed by m or n. This has induced Mr. Sheridan to spell embrace, endow, &c. imbrace, indow, &c. and this spelling may, perhaps, sufficiently convey the cursory or colloquial pronunciation; but my observation greatly fails me if correct publick speaking does not preserve the e in its true sound, when followed by morn. The difference is delicate, but, in my opinion, real. [v. embalm]
14 These rimes and many others not included for reasons of space would have been impossible with Walker's pronunciation: censure:cleanser (Whittier); creature:sweeter (Freneau); failure:valour; moisture:oyster (Trumbull); censure:answer (Burns); torture:shorter (Browning); venture:enter (H. Walpole); volume:solemn (Halleck, Freneau, Whittier, Byron).
