{51} J. Grimm (_Wörterbuch_, p. xxvi.): Fällt von ungefähr ein fremdes wort in den brunnen einer sprache, so wird es so lange darin umgetrieben, bis es ihre farbe annimmt, und seiner fremden art zum trotze wie ein heimisches aussieht. {52} Have we here an explanation of the ‘battalia’ of Jeremy Taylor and others? Did they, without reflecting on the matter, regard ‘battalion’ as a word with a Greek neuter termination? It is difficult to think they should have done so; yet more difficult to suggest any other explanation. [‘Battalia’ was sometimes mistaken as a plural, which indeed it was originally, the word being derived through the Italian _battaglia_, from low Latin _battalia_, which (like _biblia_, _gaudia_, etc.) was afterwards regarded as a feminine singular (Skeat, _Principles_, ii, 230). But Shakespeare used it as a singular, “Our _battalia_ trebles that account” (_Rich. III_, v. 3, 11); and so Sir T. Browne, “The Roman _battalia_ was ordered after this manner” (_Garden of Cyrus_, 1658, p. 113).] {53} “And old heroës, which their world did daunt”. _Sonnet on Scanderbeg._ {54} [By J. H(ealey), 1610, who has “centones ... of diuerse colours”, p. 605.] {55} [The identity of these two words, notwithstanding the analogy of _corona_ and _crown_, is denied by Skeat, Kluge and Lutz.] {56} Skinner (_Etymologicon_, 1671) protests against the word altogether, as purely French, and having no right to be considered English at all. {57} It is curious how effectually the nationality of a word may by these slight alterations in spelling be disguised. I have met an excellent French and English scholar, to whom it was quite a surprise to learn that ‘redingote’ was ‘riding-coat’. {58} [Compare French _marsouin_ (=German _meer-schwein_), “sea-pig”, the dolphin; Breton _mor-houc’h_; Irish _mucc mara_, “pig of the sea”, the dolphin (W. Stokes, _Irish Glossaries_, p. 118); French _truye de mer_ (Cotgrave); old English _brun-swyne_ (_Prompt. Parv._), “brown-pig”, the dolphin or seal.] {59} He is not indeed perfectly accurate in this statement, for the Greeks spoke of ἐν κύκλῳ παιδεία and ἐγκύκλιος παιδεία, but had no such composite word as ἐγκυκλοπαδεία. We gather however from these expressions, as from Lord Bacon’s using the term ‘circle-learning’ (=‘orbis doctrinæ’, Quintilian), that ‘encyclopædia’ did not exist in their time. [But ‘encyclopedia’ occurs in Elyot, _Governour_, 1531, vol. i, p. 118 (ed. Croft); ‘encyclopædie’ in J. Sylvester, _Workes_, 1621, p. 660.] {60} See the passages quoted in my paper, _On some Deficiencies in our English Dictionaries_, p. 38. {61} [This prediction has been verified. ‘Ethos’ is used by Sir F. Palgrave, 1851, and in the ‘Encyclopædia Britannica’, 1875. N.E.D.]