G G, g, the seventh letter and fifth con- sonant of the English alphabet, formed by arching the tongue against the hinder part of the roof of the mouth, then low- ering the tongue and giving utterance to voice. G has two sounds in the English, one hard when it occurs before a, o, u, as in gate, god, gun (except in gaol), and when initial, always before e and 1 in all words of English origin, as in get, give, and when final, as in bag; also be- fore the consonants 1 and r, as in glove, grove; the second sound of g is soft, and is a palatal sound like j. This second sound of g was unknown in Anglo-Saxon. It is the voiced sound corresponding to the breathed sound of ch as in church. It is the sound which g has commonly be- fore e, i, and y, as in gem, gin, g:ym- nastics. G is silent before n, as in gnat, when at the beginning of a word, and at the end of a word it generally serves to lengthen the vowel, as in benigri. In form G is a modification of C, which in the Roman alphabet had the same power. The Anglo-Saxon g is in many words now represented by y, as in may (verb), way (Anglo-Saxon wcega), or w, as in law (Anglo-Saxon lagu) , dawn (Anglo- Saxon dagian) . Sometimes it has been softened down to a, e, or i, as in alike (Anglo-Saxon gelic) , enough (Anglo- Saxon genoh), handiwork (Anglo-Saxon handgeweorc) . Sometimes it is lost in the root, and makes its appearance in the derivative as in dry and drought, slay and slaughter, etc. From some words it has disappeared altogether, as in if (An- glo-Saxon gif), icicle (Anglo-Saxon isgi- eel), etc. It has been softened to ge (=j), as in cringe (Anglo-Saxon crin- gan) , and to ch in orchard (Anglo-Saxon ortgeard). In Romance words g often disappears, as in master (Lat. magister) . It has crept into some words (generally false analogy), as in sovereign, foreign, (Old French soverain, fm-ain) . Ec, eg has often become ge (=j), as in edge (Anglo-Saxon ecg, egg). Gh has a gut- tural sound, as in lough, the sound of f , as in tough, and in many words is not sounded, as in bright, plough. G, as a symbol is used : 1. In numerals, for 400, and with a dash over it, for 40,000. 2. In music: (1) The note lichanos in Greek music. (2) The first note of the Church mode, called Eolin, the highest in pitch of the authentic modes. (3) The lowest note of the grave hexa- chord; in the Guidonian system, ga/m- ma ut. (4) The fifth note of the normal scale of C, called sol. (5) The lowest or fourth string of a violin, the third of the viola and violon- cello. (6) The key-note of the major scale, having one sharp in the signature. (7) The letter-name of the treble clef. 3. In Church calendar, for the seventh of the Dominical letters. 4. Physics : A symbol for the accelera- tion of a body falling in vacuo. It = 980 C. G. S. units of acceleration. GABLONZ (ga'blonts), a town of the N. of Bohemia, 6 miles S. E. of Reichen- berg, celebrated for its glass manufac- tures, in which thousands of men are employed. The town has also textile Industries, bookbinding, and poircelain painting. Pop. about 30,000. GABOON, or GABUN, a French colony on the W. coast of Africa on an eskiary of the Gaboon river, 40 miles long by 10 miles, just north of the equator. The climate on the coastal strip is extremely unhealthy. On the inland plateau (2,600 feet above sea-level) it is better. Among the exports figure timber, gum, ivory, gutta-percha, palm oil and kernels, earth nuts, sesamum, and malachite; other products are brown hematite, quicksilver, sugar cane, cotton and bananas. The people belong for the most part to tribes of the Bantu stock, the more important being the Mpongwe, the Fans, Bakele, Bateke, etc. Sheep and goats are numer- 236
