Rymer
or RHYMER, THOMAS THE (Thomas Lermont of Erceldoune), a Scotch poet of the 13th century, who occupies an important place in the mythical and legendary literature of Scotland. His name is associated with fragments of ments of rhymed or alliterative verse, many of which have been collected and published as "The Prophecies" (1691); and "Sir Tristem: A Metrical Romance Edited by Sir Walter Scott from the Auchinleck MSS." (1804).
WIJK), a village and castle situated in RYSWICK (rīs'wik; properly RIJSwhere the peace of Ryswick, which ter- South Holland, not far from The Hague, minated the war waged against Louis XIV. by a league consisting of Holland, the German empire, Britain, and Spain, was signed, Sept. 21, 1697.
S S, s, the 19th letter and the 15th consonant of the English alphabet. It represents a hissing sound and is classed as a sibilant. There are two sounds attached to this letter in English; the one surd, or uttered with breath merely, the other sonant or voiced. The first is a mere hissing sound, as in sin, so, etc.; the other is exactly the same as that of z, as in music, muse, etc. S in some words, as isle, island, viscount, is silent. It is closely allied to r, and even in the oldest English we have traces of the interchange, as in frore froren frosen (frozen), gecoren chosen, etc. S has become st in hoist hoise, whilst whiles, etc. It has been changed into c, as in mice Old English mys, once Old English ones, hence Old English hennes, etc. With a following h it forms a digraph, a weakening of an older and stronger sound sc, as shall-Old English sceal, fish Old English fisc, etc. S is an exceedingly common letter in English. It is the characteristic sign of the genitive case and plurals of nouns.
S as an initial is used for South, as in S. W. Southwest; for Society, as F. R.
S. Fellow of the Royal Society; for Saint, or double (SS.) for Saints. Sas a symbol is used as a numeral for 7, and with a dash over it, for 70,000. Also in chemistry for the element sulphur.