Dissertations on the English Language, with Notes, Historical and Critical;: to Which is Added, by Way of Appendix, an Essay on a Reformed Mode of Spelling, With Dr. Franklin's Arguments on that SubjectWebster, Noah
General
Dissertations on the English Language, with Notes, Historical and Critical;: to Which is Added, by Way of Appendix, an Essay on a Reformed Mode of Spelling, With Dr. Franklin's Arguments on that Subject
Webster, Noah
English language -- Early works to 1800; English language -- Grammar -- Early works to 1800; Spelling reform -- Early works to 1800
A number at least of the words in the foregoing tables, must have
existed in the several languages from the earliest times; and therefore
must have been derived from the same stock.
In the following words, we trace the common origin of the Greek and
Gothic languages.
_Greek._ _English._
Kardia}
Kear } heart
Ki[=o] hie
Kale[=o] hail, call
Koilas hollow
K[=e]das heed, care
Kerdas hire
Keras horn, herald
Axine ax
Ophrun frown
Pur fire
Platus plate
Xeras fear
Mignu[=o] mingle
Eile[=o] heal, hail
Kair[=o] cheer
Gonu knee
Knix gnat
Z[=e]te[=o] seek
The reader will find no difficulty in believing these words to be from
the same root, when he is told that the Greeks and the northern nations
of Europe pronounced with a strong guttural aspirate; and that _k_
among the Greeks was often a mere aspirate, like _h_. Thus the Romans
often pronounced _c_; for which reason that letter is often omitted,
and _h_ substituted in modern English. _Curro_ and _hurry_ are the
same word; and so are _cornu_ and _horn_; _Carolus_ and _Harold_.
_Greek._ _Latin._ _English._
'Oinos vinum wine
Dama[=o] domo tame
Zeugos jugum yoke
Upper super upper
Gno[=o]} nosco } know
Ginosko} cognosco}
Some old people still pronounce the _k_ in _know_.
In the following, the Welsh differ from the Greek in the prepositives
or initial mutes; but they are clearly from the same root.
_Greek._ _Latin._ _English._
Stoma saman mouth
Ikanos digon sufficient
Ark[=e] d'erke beginning
Air[=o] d'uyrey arise
Platun lhydon broad
Papyrun bruyn rushes
Trek[=o] rhedeg run
Petalon dalen loaf[139]
In the following words, the Welsh are nearer the Greek than the Latin;
yet all came from one stock.
_Greek._ _Welsh._ _Latin._ _English._
Helios heil sol sun
Hypnos hyn, heppian somnus sleep
Halon halen sal salt
Hamolos hamal similis like
Bounos ban mons mountain
Kleas klad. _Cornish_, klas laus praise
Pepto pobo coquo cook
Hyle hely sylva woods
Krios kor aries ram
These words are incontestibly the same, with mere dialectical
variations. All are branches of the same stock, yet neither can claim
the honor of being that stock.
But the most curious etymological analysis ever exhibited perhaps in
any language, is that found in Gebelin's works. Take the following
specimens.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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