Page 4. line 17, for Georgic's, read Georgics.
23. line 4, from bottom, read Amplification
7. line 11. read Pollok's.

40. line 22, for, so very few, read not more.

48. line 10, note, requires a comma after it instead of a period.
218. line 1, for pinion's, read pinions,

246. line 14, for dome's, read domes

281. line 12, from bottom, read torches.
330. line 5, read Pelusium's.

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS

ON THE

STRUCTURE OF LANGUAGE.

OF LANGUAGE IN GENERAL.

LANGUAGE is the expression of our ideas by articulate sounds, or by the modulations of the voice formed by means of the mouth and its various organs.

Every animal has an innate power of expressing its passions and sensations; but the voice of the brute creation is very different from the language of man, the former consisting simply in instinctive sounds, while the latter conveys thought and reflection incomprehensible to the understanding of brutes: the one is the gift of nature, the other the result of art. A lion would roar instinctively, although he may have never heard another roar; but a man that had never heard another speak would be incapable of speaking: hence, those who are born deaf are always dumb, and such as have been found wild in the woods, that have never associated with other human beings, can utter only inarticulate sounds, expressive of any particular mental affection or emotion.

Since articulate language is not instinctive, it has become the subject of inquiry how mankind first acquired the faculty of speech, and whether language is of human invention, or whether it was originally an inspiration of the Almighty. Many ancient learned Greeks and Romans, as well as others of later date, supposed that men originally lived wild; and from uttering at first indistinct noises, by associating together they gradually acquired a capability of articulation.† But this appears contrary to reason, and it

Voltaire, Dr. Adam Smith, and Mr. Adelung, were of this opinion. + Diodorus Siculus imagined that men originally fed on grass like beasts of the field; but being attacked by animals of the brute creation, they assembled together to defend themselves, and gradually acquired the faculty of speech, by using signs whilst they pronounced articulate

sounds.

is also at variance with Scripture; for we find, by referring to the sacred volume, that when the work of creation was finished, the Almighty brought to Adam the different animals that he had made for the purpose of their receiving from him their names. Adam is also said to have given to his wife the name Eve; and when they were charged by their Maker with the sin of disobedience, they are represented as exculpating themselves from their crime. It is hence most reasonable to suppose that Adam had received from God supernaturally, not only the faculty of speech, but also ideas to communicate.

Whether language was of human invention, or whether it was an inspiration of the Almighty, different tongues must have originated at the dispersion of mankind by the building of the tower of Babel, whence other dialects would arise, as men formed themselves into distinct and different bodies.

Although, at the present time, it is hardly possible to state what was the most ancient language, yet from their very striking similarity, it is evident that many tongues must have had one common origin.

The word BISHOP is in Saxon biscop; in Dutch, bisschop; in German, bischoff; in Danish and Swedish, biskop; in Polish, biscub; in Sclavonian, epkop; in Russian, episkop; in Hungarian, proscop; in Welsh, eskop; in Celtic, easbog and eascob; in Ethiopic, eskuph; in Arabic, oskof; in Greek, ELOKOTOS; in Latin, episcopus; in Spanish, obispo; in Portuguese, bispo; in Italian, vescovo; and in French, evêque.

BREAD is bara, Celtic; Bopa, Greek; breod, Saxon; braud, Icelandic; brod, Swedish; broed, Danish; brot, German; and barout, Hebrew and Chaldee. BAR, in Syriac, Sanscrit, and Persic, signifies to produce; to which is allied the Chaldee bar, a son.

CUP is kuppan, kupa, kupan, copan, cuib, Celtic; κυπελλον, κυφελλον, κυπη, Greek; cupella, Latin; coupe, French; cuppe, Saxon; coppa, Italian; copa, Spanish; kop, Danish and Dutch; kopp, Icelandic; kab, Arabic ; kub, Arabic, Chaldee, and Persic.

FATHER is padar, Persic; petree, Sanscrit: Tan, Greek; pater, Latin; padre, Italian and Spanish; pere, French; pai, or pay, Portuguese; fæder, Saxon; vater,

German; fader, Icelandic, Swedish, and Danish; and vader, Dutch.

MOTHER is mader, Persic; matree, Sanscrit ; μŋrn?, Greek; mater, Latin; mother, meder, medder, Saxon; mutter, German; moder, Danish; moeder, Dutch; madre, Spanish and Italian; mere, French; may, Portuguese; mat, Russian.

In a similar manner might be formed a most copious list of words indicative of some original language.

OF THE FORMATION OF LANGUAGE.

In whatever manner the faculty of speech may have been acquired, language, in the earliest ages, must have been particularly rude and barbarous, and its formation slow and gradual.

It is natural to imagine that the most simple and common expressions, first used by uncivilized men, were Interjectional Exclamations; the Names of things would be the next, and then the effect or being conveyed by the verb. The quality of the Noun, or Adjective would apparently form the next step, and then the Adverb. The Pronoun, with the other parts of speech, would be subsequently introduced; and as mankind advanced in knowledge and refinement, language would gradually become more and more pure.

It is evident that many things originally received their names from an imitation of the sounds produced by various natural causes; as the buzz of a bee, the roar of a lion, the croaking of a frog, the grunt of a hog, a gush of water, &c.* The sound caused by the rapid motion of a body through the air, might have been imitated to convey the idea of swiftness; as also that of the falling of a body into a chasm to denote depth; whence might have been formed numerous words relative to the idea of swiftness and depth.

The investigation of a subject of so abstruse a character will not be expected in an elementary work like the present; it is merely glanced at, with the hope that the juvenile

The inhabitants of the South Sea Islands not having had any name for a gun, gave it tick-tick-boo, expressive of the sound made in cocking it, and the report.

reader may be excited to prosecute it for the pleasure he will derive therefrom, if he has a taste for languages.

Mankind in the early ages, from the barrenness of language, would be unable fully to convey their ideas and wishes without other aid; hence arose the necessity and use of animated gesture. The Chinese and Japanese, in order to obviate the inconveniences of a deficiency of words, attach a different meaning to a different sound of the same word; so that one word is made to have several meanings. It has been asserted that the original form of the verbs of the most perfect of languages, the Greek, consisted of the simple combinations aw w w ow and vw, (the former of the letters of each combination denoting the action, and the latter the person) from which alone, by inserting vowels, prefixing consonants, &c., the whole of the Greek verbs, amounting to some thousands, were formed.

OF THE ORIGIN AND FORMATION OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE.

The English language is, without doubt, indebted to the Celtic for its origin. In order, however, to understand the subject, and to ascertain from whom the Celts themselves were descended, and with whom they were connected, it will be necessary to refer to the earlier periods of history.

According to M. Pezron, Gomer, the eldest son of Japhet, became, after the confusion of tongues, the founder of a people, which from him received the name of Gomarians. These having spread over a great part of Upper Asia, obtained from the Parthians, by way of contempt, the name of Scacæ, or Sace; and under that name, through their warlike habits, obtained much renown. Having multiplied greatly, they passed into Asia Minor, and also into Crete, and other Grecian islands, as well as into Greece itself, and assumed the name of Titans; and for the space of three centuries gained advantage over every people that opposed them. This is said to have taken place about the time of Abraham, or somewhat before that period. It may be proper to observe, that Titan implies an earth-born man, or giant; and these are supposed to be the people to

The Parthians were, according to M. Pezron, a tribe of the Gomarians, who were induced, through some internal discord, to separate from that people. Prom the Parthians were descended the ancient Persians, as also the Germans.