Notes and Queries, Number 194, July 16, 1853: A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, etc.Various
History
Notes and Queries, Number 194, July 16, 1853: A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, etc.
Various
Questions and answers -- Periodicals
REPLIES TO MINOR QUERIES:--The Ring Finger--The
Order of St. John of Jerusalem--Calvin's Correspondence--
Old Booty's Case--Chatterton--House-marks, &c.--
Bibliography--Parochial Libraries--Faithful Teate--
Lack-a-daisy--Bacon--Angel-beast: Cleek: Longtriloo--
Hans Krauwinckel--Revolving Toy--Rub-a-dub--Muffs worn
by Gentlemen--Detached Church Towers--Christian
Names--Hogarth's Pictures--Old Fogie--Clem--Kissing
Hands--Uniform of the Foot Guards--Book Inscriptions--
Humbug--Sir Isaac Newton and Voltaire on Railway
Travelling--Engine-a-verge--"Populus vult decipi," &c.--
Sir John Vanbrugh--Erroneous Forms of Speech--
Devonianisms 61
MISCELLANEOUS:--
Books and Odd Volumes wanted 65
Notices to Correspondents 66
Advertisements 66
* * * * *
Notes.
DERIVATION OF THE WORD "ISLAND."
Lexicographers from time to time have handed down to us, and proposed for
our choice, two derivations of our English word _Island_; and, that one of
these two is correct, has, I believe, never yet been called in question.
The first which they offer, and that most usually accepted as the true one,
is the A.-S. _Ealand_, _Ealond_, _Igland_; Belg. _Eylandt_: the first
syllable of which, they inform us, is _ea_, Low Germ. _aue_, water, _i.e._
water-land, or land surrounded by water. If this etymon be deemed
unsatisfactory, they offer the following: from the Fr. _isle_, It. _isola_,
Lat. _insula_, the word _island_, they say, is easily deflected.
At the risk of being thought presumptuous, I do not hesitate to say, that
both these alternatives are manifestly erroneous; and, for the following
reason, I propose a third source, which seems to carry conviction with it:
first, from analogy; and secondly, from the usage of the language from
which our English word is undoubtedly derived, the Anglo-Saxon.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account