Silent Letters
We
are perhaps not aware of the astonishing fact that nearly every letter of
the English alphabet is silent in some word.Silent letters are also
sometimes called mute letters. The following list was compiled from
Alexander John Ellis' book "Plea for Phonetic Spelling; or the
Necessity of Orthographical Reform".
a is silent in head, bread, deaf, meant
b is silent in debt, lamb, bomb, tomb
c is silent in muscle, blackguard, yacht, indict
d is silent in Wednesday, handkerchief, handbag
e is silent in pirate, more, have, give
f is silent in stiff, cuff, scoff
g is silent in gnaw, gnome, phlegm, straight
h is silent in honour, heir, ghost, night
i is silent in business, fashion, cushion
k is silent in know, knee, knock, blackguard
l is silent in talk, folk, salmon, colonel
m is silent in mnemonic
n is silent in hymn
o is silent in leopard, jeopardy
p is silent in psalm, pneumatic, cupboard, receipt
q(u) is silent in lacquer
r is silent in myrrh, catarrh
s is silent in isle, aisle, viscount, mess
t is silent in often, thistle, fasten, mortgage
u is silent in build, guild, plague
w is silent in whole, write, sword
y is silent in prayer, mayor
z is silent in rendezvous
a is silent in head, bread, deaf, meant
b is silent in debt, lamb, bomb, tomb
c is silent in muscle, blackguard, yacht, indict
d is silent in Wednesday, handkerchief, handbag
e is silent in pirate, more, have, give
f is silent in stiff, cuff, scoff
g is silent in gnaw, gnome, phlegm, straight
h is silent in honour, heir, ghost, night
i is silent in business, fashion, cushion
k is silent in know, knee, knock, blackguard
l is silent in talk, folk, salmon, colonel
m is silent in mnemonic
n is silent in hymn
o is silent in leopard, jeopardy
p is silent in psalm, pneumatic, cupboard, receipt
q(u) is silent in lacquer
r is silent in myrrh, catarrh
s is silent in isle, aisle, viscount, mess
t is silent in often, thistle, fasten, mortgage
u is silent in build, guild, plague
w is silent in whole, write, sword
y is silent in prayer, mayor
z is silent in rendezvous
_________
1)I used to wonder how he
could just wander around
the city like that.
2)Well — see good
3) Where were
you? We're over
here.
4) I don't know whether we'll
go or not. I think it depends on the weather.
5)Which — see that
6)She ate the whole donut, hole and all.
7)Whose book is
that? Who's there?
[Works like his and he's]
9)Visiting the reeking wrack and
ruin of an old shipyard, we racked our
brains trying to remember the author of "The Wreck of the
Hesperus," which tells how an iceberg wreaked havoc
on a ship.
10)You're doing your own
homework, I hope.
______________
Upagupta
:The Buddhist Monk
Long
long ago, in the time of Lord Buddha. there lived a dancer in the city of Mathura . She was known as
Vasavadatta. She was well known for her beauty and dance. Although she had many
a suitor, none had the character she was looking for.
One
evening Vasavadatta was looking out through the window when she saw a handsome
young monk passing by. He was none other than Upagupta, an ardent disciple of
Lord Buddha.
Vasavadatta
fell in love with him at once and asked her maid to call the young monk to her
house.
The
maid rushed to the monk and said, "Vasavadatta, my lady, wishes to see
you. Oh the holy one, will you come in?"
The
monk gracefully replied, "No, not now, but I will see her in time."
Vasavadatta
was disappointed. She thought that perhaps the poor monk was embarrassed to
come bearing no gift. After all, the rich noblemen always came with gifts of
gold and jewels. She asked her maid to run out and tell the monk that she
wanted only his company and he need not bring any gift.
The
maid once again conveyed to Upagupta Vasavadatta's wishes.
Upagupta
replied gently but firmly, "No, I cannot. It is not yet time to visit
Vasavadatta."
Disappointed
Vasavadatta stopped dancing. The people were mad.
"What
is the matter with her? She seems to be always unhappy" complained the
nobles.
Vasavadatta's
maid knew her sorrow and was sad to see her beloved mistress always brooding
over that heartless monk who refused to visit her.
To
get her mind off of the monk, the maid asked Vasavadatta to go an visit the
exhibition of a young sculptor of Mathura .
As Vasavadatta admired the works of art, the young sculptor was secretly
admiring her beauty. His thought was interrupted when Vasavadatta found a
sculpture that she liked.
Vasavadatta
asked, "This is so beautiful. How much does it cost? Will you sell it to
me?"
The
young sculptor replied, "You might find the price too high."
Proudly
Vasavadatta said, "Whatever its price, I am prepared to pay it."
"It
is yours, if you agree to dance again" said the young sculptor.
Vasavadatta
hesitated.
The
sculptor said, "Are you going to go back on your word? You promised to pay
any price!" Vasavadatta agreed to keep her promise by dancing again. The
people of Mathura
thanked the sculptor. The audience gave a thundering applause to Vasavadatta
but in her heart Vasavadatta was still not happy.
She
kept on thinking, "Why did Upagupta shun her when thousands of people long
for a sight of her."
In
the days that followed, the chief sculptor got increasingly interested in
Vasavadatta. He asked her to pose for him so that he could capture her image in
stone.
Seeing
his exquisite work, Vasavadatta commented, "My art will die with me but your
art will last for centuries to come."
The
sculptor remarked, "I am so happy to see my talent bring happiness to
you."
A
few days later, the sculpture vanished. Both Vasavadatta and her maid were
worried. They thought he might have left town. To their horror his body was
found buried, not far from Vasavadatta's house.
People
reported that the young sculptor was last seen entering Vasavadatta's house
three days before he was killed. The enemies of the sculptor, who were jealous
of him for getting the favor of Vasavadatta, had killed him and secretly buried
him near Vasavadatta's house so that she would be falsely accused of the crime.
The
king called Vasavadatta for an explanation. Shocked Vasavadatta had nothing to
say. He confiscated all her property and banished her from Mathura . People threw stones at her and she
was badly wounded. Finally she took shelter in a crematory. Her dearest maid
knew that she was innocent. Vasavadatta was deliberately framed for the
murder.
Vasavadatta
soon became ill as her wounds got infected. She received no sympathy or medical
help from anyone except her faithful maid. The passers-by would often throw
stones at her and asked the maid to leave her to die.
"She
deserves that for the sin she has committed!" they shouted.
Then
came Upagupta, the Buddhist monk. Vasavadatta asked her maid to cover her. She
did not want to show her wounded face to her beloved, Upagupta.
Upagupta
said, "Vasvadatta, I have come to you just as you always desired."
"Oh
monk! You rejected me when all of Mathura
admired me," said Vasavadatta.
"Why
do you choose to come now when I am nothing but a mass of festering flesh,
shunned by all?" asked she.
Upagupta
smiled and said with great compassion, "At that time you did not need me,
Vasavadatta. You do now. Come, let me take you to my monastery and allow me
heal your wounds."
In
due course Vasavadatta recovered under the care and nursing of the young monk.
But she lost her beauty and was always depressed.
Seeing
this, Upagupta consoled her, "Vasavadatta, you are sorry for loosing your
beauty which lasts only as long as you are young. You are yet to discover a
beauty greater than that you have lost, the beauty of the self. Come with me
and listen to Lord Buddha, it will bring you peace and eternal happiness."
Vasavadatta,
curious to know more, began to attend the discourses of Lord Buddha.
"You
can't call your body your own!" Buddha said in his discourse. "When
the body is cast away, it becomes food for the vultures. Light the lamp within
you, only then, will you find true peace."
Quietly
Vasavadatta began to think and repeat to herself, "Light the lamp within
you, peace will come ---."
When
the discourse ended, Vasavadatta fell at the feet of Lord Buddha seeking
salvation.
Buddha
blessed her, "So be it, my child. May you find peace."
_____________
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