Philological Proofs of the Original Unity and Recent Origin of the Human RaceJohnes, Arthur James
History
Philological Proofs of the Original Unity and Recent Origin of the Human Race
Johnes, Arthur James
Ethnology; Human beings -- Origin; Language and languages; Monogenism and polygenism
Tom, (_Heb._) “To try,” “To try an experiment,” “To perceive.”
Tom, “The Hand,” (_Mexico_.)
Tedembeton, “The Hand,” (_Nubia_.)
Thumb (_Eng._), Daum, (_Ger._)
Teim-law, “To Feel,” (_Welsh_.)
“To taste,” “To eat.” Tamma, “The Tongue,” (_Hottentots_.)
“Mental Taste,” “Discernment,” “Judgment.” Tami-as, “A Judge,” (_Greek_.)
Doom, Doomsday, (_English_.)
G.sh. (_Heb._), “To feel for.” Guess, (_Eng_.) See below,
K.s.m, (_Heb._)
G.sh.sh. (_Heb._), “To feel for repeatedly,” Gus-to, “To taste, To
listen,” (_Latin_.)
“To grope for,” Kchesi, “The Hand,” (_Finland_.)
Keez, “The Hand,” (_Hungarian_.)
K.s.m. (_Heb._), “To guess hidden things.” “To divine,” “To foretel.”
Keisio, “To seek, To attempt, Endeavour,” (_Welsh_.)
These examples instructively display the manner in which the Hebrew, which
is a language of high antiquity, combines within itself a variety of
meanings, which are found only partially preserved in more modern
languages. This venerable tongue may be said in these, as in numerous
other instances, to confirm, by means of its own intrinsic resources, the
results which are deducible from a wide comparison of other languages of
which our specimens are more modern.
II. _Of the Results of the Comparison, contained in Appendix A._
When the languages of Africa are compared collectively with those of the
other three Continents, it will be found:
1. That the names of the most Common Objects, occurring in the various
dialects of Africa, may be detected, and as it were _restored_, in the
same or in kindred senses in each of the other three Continents, when all
or a considerable portion of their languages are examined.
2. The exceptions to this principle are so insignificant, that the rule,
viewed in the light of a philological maxim, may be regarded as universal,
especially when it is borne in mind that the specimens we possess of the
various languages of Mankind are undoubtedly incomplete.
3. A further remarkable truth is established by Appendix A, viz.:
The resemblances which the African languages display to those of Asia,
&c., are as close as those which the Asiatic languages exhibit among
themselves; and they are as close as those which the languages termed
Indo-European mutually display.
4. What has been stated in the previous explanation of Result 3 applies to
the languages of the continent of America as well as to those of Africa.
5. Not only the same words but the same minute transitions which words
undergo may be recognized in the Four Continents, and the steps of
transition are much more completely traceable when the various Continents
form the subject of comparison than when the investigation is confined to
one Continent. Compare, for example, (See Appendix A, p. 13,) Ano, “A Day”
(_Caraibs_); Antu, Antú, “The Sun, A Day” (_Araucan, South America_);
Antu, Andru, “A Day” (_Madagascar, South Africa_); Indra, The Indian “God
of Day” (_Sanscrit, Asia_); Inti, Indi, “The Sun” (_South America_).
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