Dziggetai

Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)

a species of wild ass, more horse-like than the others. It is probably the hemionus ("half-ass") of Herodotus and Pliny. It inhabits the elevated steppes of Tartary, extending into the S. of Siberia and to the borders of India. The dziggetai lives in small herds. The Mongols and Tungûs hunt it eagerly on account of its flesh. It has been partly domesticated. It is also known by the names of kiang, khur, and goor. E, e, the fifth letter and the second vowel in the English language. It has three principal sounds, the first long, and corresponding to the sound of i in French and Italian, as in me; the second short, as in men, set; the third like a or the French è, as in there. There is also the modification caused by the short or long being followed by r, as in her and here, and the u or dropped sound of it, as in camel. E occurs in words more frequently than any other letter of the English alphabet, this being in a great measure due to the fact that it represents in many instances the Anglo- Saxon a, e, o, and u. It is pronounced with a medium opening of the mouth, the tongue being expanded to touch the upper molars, and the voice gently expirated. E is largely used as a final vowel to lengthen the preceding syllable, being itself silent; as man, mane; can, cane. Sometimes, however, it exercises no influence on the preceding vowel, as in gone, give. It is also used after and g to denote the softened sound of those letters; c followed by e being pronounced as s, and g followed by e as j. Up to the end of the 14th century the final e was in most cases pronounced, except before a vowel, or letter h; thus the first line of Chaucer's "Canterbury's Tales" was pronounced as follows: "Whan that Aprille with his shoures swote." When the letter e is doubled the sound is the same as that of the long single e; as in deem, seem, etc. The digraph ea is, in most cases, sounded as long e, but occasionally as short e; as in lead (the metal), tread, etc. The combination ei has two sounds: the first the same as long e, as in receive, deceive, etc.; the second that of long a, or French è, è, as in reign, feign, etc. The digraph ie has the sound of long e, as in siege, believe, etc. E as an initial is used for East, as in charts: E. by S.-East by South. E E as a symbol is used: 1. In numerals, for 250. 2. In chemistry, for the element erbium. 3. In music. (1) For the note hypate in Greek music. (2) The key-note of the Church mode, called Phrygian. (3) The note elami in the system of hexachords. (4) The third note of the diatonic scale, corresponding to mi of the Italians.