Gustavo Bécquer - Legends, Tales and Poems

c. Two contiguous vowels after the accented syllable.

(1) Two contiguous strong vowels after the accented syllable naturally form a diphthong.

Ex. Tú, sombra aére^a que, cuantas veces , p. 170, XV, l. 7.

Diaeresis may be employed to dissolve the diphthong.

(2) If a strong vowel is followed by a weak vowel after the accented syllable, they form a diphthong, e.g. hablaba^is, amara^is .

This diphthong is easily dissolved.

(3) If a weak vowel is followed by a strong vowel after the accented syllable, they form a diphthong, e.g. histor^i^a, ans^i^a .

Ex. De la brisa nocturna al tenu^e soplo , p. 192, LXXV, l. 6.

The diphthong may, however, be dissolved, e.g. estatu|a, tenu|e, nadi|e .

If three vowels belonging to the same word are contiguous, one of them must be accented. There are then three possible arrangements.

(i) Three contiguous vowels of a word with the accent on the first, e.g. tráeos .

(ii) Three contiguous vowels of a word with the accent on the second, e.g. creia, buey .

(iii) Three contiguous vowels with the accent on the third, e.g. rehuí .

Each of the above arrangements has two combinations of accented and unaccented vowels to which the rules for diphthongs may be applied. In (i) there will be a combination of two vowels with the first accented, plus a combination of two vowels after the accent. In tráeos , for example, the a and e would probably be in separate syllables by b (1) (a), and eo would probably form a diphthong by c (1). Tráeos would, then, probably be a dissyllable.

In (ii) there will be a combination of two vowels with the accent an the second, and one of two vowels with the accent on the first. In creia, for example, the e and í would be in separate syllables by b (2) (b), and the í and a would probably be in separate syllables also by b (2)(a). Therefore, creia would probably be a trisyllable. In cambiáos the i and á might form one syllable or two by b (2) ( d ), and the á and o would probably be in separate syllables by b (1) (a). Therefore, in cambiáos the combination iáo might form a dissyllable or a trisyllable.

In (iii) there will be a combination of two vowels before the accent, and one of two vowels with the second accented. In rehuí , for example, the e and u might be in the same syllable by a (1), or in separate syllables by dieresis by a (1) (a), and the u and í might be in separate syllables or not by b (3) (b). Therefore, rehuí might be a monosyllable, a dissyllable, or a trisyllable.

Other combinations of three vowels may be analyzed in a similar way, as may also combinations of more than three vowels, e.g. creíais , etc.

Between the contiguous vowels of separate words there may occur synalepha (which corresponds to diphthongization within a word), or hiatus (which is similar to diaeresis within a word).

Ex. Abre^una^eternidad , p. 178, XXXVI I, l. 22. ¿Á qué me lo decís? lo sé^:^es mudable , p. 179, XXXIX, l. 1. [Synalepha.]

Ex. Como la onda^azul, en cuya cresta , p. 173, XXVII, l. 16. [Hiatus.]

The vowels contracted by synalepha are each pronounced, except when the same vowel is repeated, when only a prolonged sound is heard, as in onda^azul or sé^es above.

Synalepha may join into a single syllable two, three, four, and even five vowels. The union of two vowels (diphthongal synalepha) and the union of three vowels (triphthongal synalepha) are the most common.

A pause due to a break in sense does not prevent synalepha. Mute h is disregarded in the verse and does not prevent synalepha.

Ex. Capaz de encerrarlo, y apénas ¡oh^hermosa! p. 164, I, l. 10.

1. DIPHTHONGAL SYNALEPHA

a. Synalepha takes place between two contiguous unaccented vowels belonging to separate words.

Ex. Abre^una^eternidad , p. 178, XXXVII, l. 22.

b. Synalepha occurs when the final vowel of the first word is accented.

Ex. Te ví^un punto, y, flotando ante mis ojos , p. 169, XIV, l. 1.

c. Synalepha usually occurs when the initial vowel of the second word is accented, especially when the first word ends in a weak vowel, and also in the combinations aá, oá, oa, eá, eó, eé.

Ex. Me parece^en el cielo de la tarde , p. 169, XIII, l. 11.

NOTE: Synalepha is possible with the other combinations, but hiatus is preferable even with the above combinations, in a syllable on which the rhythmical accent falls (see under Rhythmic Accent).

Ex. Despierta, hablas, y al hablar, vibrantes , p. 174, XXVII, l. 23.

Ex. Como la ola que á la playa viene, p. 178, XXXVII, l. 19.

2. TRIPHTHONGAL SYNALEPHA

a. There is always triphthongal synalepha when a is the middle vowel; or when o or e is the middle vowel, except in the following combinations, aoa, aoo, ooo, aea, aeo, oea, oeo.

Ex. Silenciosa á expirar , p. 178, XXXVII, l. 20.

b. There is never triphthongal synalepha when an accented weak vowel stands between two strong vowels. Therefore the conjunctions y and ú prevent triphthongal synalepha.

Ex. Y de purpura y oro la matiza , p. 168, IX, l. 4.

c. There may be triphthongal synalepha when í (y) is the middle vowel, if u precedes it, or i follows it.

Ex. Fuí diestro, fuí valiente, fuí arrogante . Cervantes.

d. When u is the middle vowel there may be synalepha if i follows it. The construction is very rare.

e. There is no synalepha with a word beginning with hue.

Ex. Mucho nuestro huesped tarda . Tirso de Molina.

f. In the following cases the groups of vowels which would usually make triphthongal synalepha are pronounced in two syllables:

(1) When the first word of the group ends in two vowels which do not form a diphthong.

Ex. Que aún tení|a^abiertos , p. 187, LXXIII, l. 2.

(2) When the two initial vowels of the second word do not form a diphthong.

Ex. Tú, sombra^a|érea que, cuantas veces , p. 170, XV, l. 7.

(3) When the first word ends in a diphthong and the second begins with a vowel in a constituent syllable (i.e. a syllable on which the rhythmical accent falls).

Ex. Tan gran designio honra tus audacias.

If the accented vowel is not in a constituent syllable synalepha may occur.

Ex. Mientras la cencia á descubrir no alcance , p. 165, IV, l. 13.

(4) When the first word ends in a single vowel, and the second word begins with a diphthong in a constituent syllable.

Ex. Tú, proceloso austro que derribas .

(3) and (4) might well be considered as cases of hiatus.

3. SYNALEPHA BETWEEN FOUR OR MORE VOWELS

This is less common, yet it exists.

Ex. No^h^a^y^amor donde no hay celos . Lope de Vega.

4. HIATUS

Hiatus is most frequently found between words having a close syntactical relation, particularly if the initial vowel of the second word is in a constituent syllable. It may occur between the article and its substantive, the possessive adjective and its substantive, a preposition and its object, the negatives no and ni and a following vowel; and after the conjunctions y, que, si , and other words having a weak accent such as desde, coma, todo, otro, cuando , etc.

Hiatus is most likely to occur when the accented vowel is the initial vowel of the final word in a phrase or verse, or of a word that has a strongly accented position in the verse; as, for example, when the syllable is the next to the last syllable in a verse, or is the fourth or eighth syllable of a hendecasyllabic verse of the second class.