SYZYGIA, in Astronomy, a term equally used for the conjunction and opposition of a planet with the sun. The word is formed from the Greek συζύγια, which properly signifies conjunctio. On the phenomena and circumstances of the syzygies a great part of the lunar theory depends. See ASTRONOMY.

T.

T, or t, the 19th letter and 16th consonant of our alphabet; the sound whereof is formed by a strong expulsion of the breath through the mouth, upon a sudden drawing back of the tongue from the fore-part of the palate, with the lips at the same time open. The proper sound of t is expressed in most words beginning or ending with that letter; as in take, tell, hot, put. Ti before a vowel has the sound of f, or rather of /bi/, as in creation, except when s precedes, as in question; and in derivatives from words ending in ty, as mighty, mightier. Th has two sounds; the one soft, as thou, father; the other hard, as thing, think. The sound is lost in these words, then, thence, and there, with their derivatives and compounds; and in the words that, this, that, thy, they, though; and in all words in which th comes between two vowels, as, whether, rather; and between r and a vowel, as burthen.

In abbreviations, amongst the Roman writers, T. stands for Titus, Titium, &c.; Tab. for Tabularius; Tab. P. H. C. Tabularius Provinciae Hispaniae Clerioris; Tar. Tarquinius; Ti. Tiberius; Ti. F. Tiberii filius; Ti. L. Tiberii libertus; Ti. N. Tiberii Nepos; T. J. A. V. P. V. D. tempore judicem arbitrumque po- flutat ut det; T. M. P. terminum posui; T. M. D. D. terminum dedicavi; Tr. trans, tribunus; Tr. M. or Mil. tribunus militum; TR. PL. DES. tribunus plebis Tabalheer. deignatus; TR. AER. tribunus aerarii; TRV. CAP. triumviri capitales; T. P. or TRIB. POT. tribunicia potestate; Tul. H. Tullus Hostilius.

Amongst the ancients, T, as a numeral, stood for one hundred and sixty; and with a dash at top, thus T, it signified one hundred and sixty thousand. In music, T stands for tutti, "all, or altogether."