# Northern Antiquities/The Translator's Preface

THE
TRANSLATOR'S
PREFACE.
THE Author of the following Work had a share in the education of that amiable Prince, Christian VII. King of Denmark, who lately honoured this nation with a visit. During his residence in the North, our Author Mons. Mallet (who has all the talents of a fine writer) was engaged by the late King Frederick V. to write a History of Denmark in the French Language. By way of Introduction to that History, he drew up these two prefatory Volumes, the merit of which has long been acknowledged in most parts of Europe.
Though intended only as a Preliminary Piece, it has all the merit of a complete independent work; and, except to the natives of Denmark, is much more interesting and entertaining than the History itself, which it was intended to precede. It very early engaged the attention of the present Translator: whose reading having run somewhat in the same track with that of the Author, made him fond of the subject, and ​tempted him to give in an English dress a work in which it was displayed with so much advantage. As he happened also to have many of the original books from which the French Author had taken his materials, he flattered himself they would supply some Illustrations, which might give an additional value to the Version.
For this reason, as also to afford himself an agreeable amusement, the Translator some time ago undertook this work; but a series of unexpected avocations intervened, and it was thrown aside for several years. At length he was prevailed upon to resume it; and as many of his friends were so obliging as to share among them different parts of the Translation, he had little more to do but to compare their performances with the original, and to superadd such Remarks as occurred to him. These are generally distinguished from those of the Author by the letter T.
He was the rather invited to undertake this task, as he perceived the Author had been drawn in to adopt an opinion that has been a great source of mistake and confusion to many learned writers of the ancient history of Europe; viz. that of supposing the ancient Gauls and Germans, the Britons and Saxons, to have been all originally one and the fame people; thus confounding the antiquities of the Gothic and Celtic nations. This crude opinion, which perhaps was first taken up by Cluverius, and maintained by him with uncommon erudition, has been since ​incautiously adopted by Keysler and Pelloutier, the latter of whom has, with great diligence and skill, endeavoured to confirm it. In short, so much learning and ingenuity have scarcely ever been more perversely and erroneously applied, or brought to adorn and support a more groundless hypothesis. This mistake the Translator thought might be easily corrected in the present work; and by weeding out this one error, he hoped he should obtain the Author's pardon, and acquire some merit with the English Reader.
And that it is an error he thinks will appear from the attentive consideration of a few particulars, which can here be only mentioned in brief: For to give the subject a thorough discussion, and to handle it in its full extent, would far exceed the limits of this short Preface.
The ancient and original inhabitants of Europe, according to Cluverius and Pelloutier, consisted only of two distinct races of men, viz. the Celts and Sarmatians; and that from one or other of these, but chiefly from the former, all the ancient nations of Europe are descended. The Sarmatians or Sauromatæ, were the ancestors of all the Sclavonian Tribes, viz. the Poles, Russians, Bohemians, Walachians, &c. who continue to this day a distinct and separate people, extremely different in their character, manners, laws and language from the other race, which was that of the Celts; from whom (they will have it) were uniformly descended the old inhabitants of Gaul, ​many, Scandinavia, Britain, and Spain, who were all included by the ancients under the general name of Hyperboreans, Scythians, and Celts, being all originally of one race and nation, and having all the same common language, religion, laws, customs, and manners.
This is the position which these Writers have adopted and maintained, with an uncommon display of deep erudition, and a great variety of specious arguments. But that their position, so far as relates to the Celts, is erroneous, and the arguments that support it inconclusive, will appear, if it can be shown, That ancient Germany, Scandinavia, Gaul, and Britain were not inhabited by the descendants of one single race; but on the contrary, divided between two very different people; the one of whom we shall call, with most of the Roman authors, Celtic, who were the ancestors of the Gauls, Britons, and Irish; the other Gothic or Teutonic, from whom the Germans, Belgians, Saxons, and Scandinavians derived their origin; and that these were ab origine two distinct people, very unlike in their manners, customs, religion, and laws.
As to the Arguments by which Cluverius and Pelloutier support their hypothesis that the Gothic and Celtic nations were the same, they may all be reduced to Two Heads; viz. either to Quotations from the ancient Greek and Roman writers; or to Etymologies of the names of persons or places, &c.
With regard to the latter, (viz. Etymologies) these two writers lay it down that the present German or High Dutch is a genuine daughter of the ancient Celtic or Gaulish language; because, from it they can explain the Etymology of innumerable names that were well known to be Gaulish or Celtic; and this being admitted, it must follow that the Germans ​are a branch of the Celts, and consequently, that the Celtic and Teutonic nations were the same. In prosecuting this argument it must be acknowledged, that they have produced many instances that appear at first sight very plausible. But whoever considers how little we can depend upon the Etymology of obsolete words, derived from barbarous dead languages, in which there are no books extant, will not build very securely on proofs of this sort. No one will assert that the present German bears any resemblance now to the modern Welsh and Irish languages; and yet there are writers in abundance who will undertake to account for the name of almost every place, person or office in ancient Europe, from one or other of these two living tongues, and will produce instances full as plausible and conclusive, as any adduced by Cluverius or his followers. After all, there is probably a good deal of truth on both sides; I can readily believe that all the names of places and persons in ancient Germany, or such other countries as any of the Gothic or Teutonic nations at any time penetrated into, will be reducible to the language now spoken by their descendants: And that in like manner, from the Irish and Welsh languages, which may be allowed to be genuine daughters of the ancient Gallic or Celtic tongue, it will be easy to explain such names as were imposed by any of the ancient Celtic or Gallic tribes. Indeed in the very remote ages, prior to history, one cannot pretend to say what were the distinct bounds or limits of each people. They were like all other barbarous nations, roving and unsettled; and often varied their situation; being ​sometimes spread over a country; at other times driven out by some stronger tribe of barbarians, or forsaking it themselves in search of new settlements. Cæsar informs us, that some of the Gallic tribes forced their way into Germany, and there eftablished themfelves. It is equally probable, that before his time, bands of Germans might at different periods penetrate into Gaul; where, although their numbers might be too fmall to preferve them a diftinct nation, yet thefe emi- grants might import many names of perfons and places that would outlive the remembrance of their founders. This will fufficiently account for the difperfion of words derived from both languages, and inform us why Celtic derivations may be found in Germany and German names difcovered in Gaul. So much for arguments derived from Etymology; which are fo very uncertain and precarious, that they can only amount to prefumptions at beft, and can never be op- pofed to folid pofitive proofs.
With regard to the other fource of Arguments, by which thefe learned writers fupport their opinion of the identity of the Gauls and Germans, viz. Quotations from the ancient Greek and Roman authors; thefe they have produced in great abundance. But even if it fhould be granted that the Greeks and Ro- mans applied fometimes the names of Celtic, Scythian or Hyperborean indifcriminately to the ancient inhabi- tants of Germany and Gaul, of Britain and Scandi- navia, the inference will ftill be doubted by thofe that confider how little known all thefe nations were to the early writers of Greece and Rome; who, giving them all the general name of Barbarians, inquired little farther about them, and took very little pains to be ​accurately informed about their peculiar differences and diftinctions. Even a long time after these rude nations had begun to prefs upon the empire, and had made the Romans dread their valour, ftill their writers con- tinued to have fo confufed and indiftinct a knowledge of their different defcent and character, as to confound both the Celts and Goths with the Sarmatians, whom all writers allow to have been a diftinct nation from them both: Thus Zosimus, an historian of the third century, includes them all under the common name of Scythians; and this, at a time when, after their long and frequent intercourfe with the Romans, their hiftorians ought to have been taught to diftinguifh them better.
However, the Greek and Roman authors were not all equally indiftinct and confufed on this fub- ject. It will be fhewn below, that fome of their beft and moft difcerning writers, when they had an oppor- tunity of being well informed, knew how to diftin- guifh them accurately enough: So that both Cluverius and Pelloutier have found themfelves much puzzled how to reconcile fuch ftubborn paffages with their own favourite hypothefes, and have been entangled in great. difficulties in endeavouring to get over the objections thefe occafion. Even with regard to the more early hiftorians, they appear to have been fometimes more precife and accurate in their defcriptions. There is a remarkable paffage of this kind in Strabo ; in which he informs us that, although the old Greek authors gave all the northern nations the common name of Scythians or Celtoscythians, yet that writers still more ancient, divided all “the nations who lived beyond the Euxine, the Danube and the Adriatic Sea, into the Hyperboreans, the Sauromatæ, and
† Strabo, lib. xi. Απανίας μεν δη τους Προσφόρους κλίνως οι παλαιοί την Ελληνων συγγραφείς, Σκύθαι και Κελτοσκύθαι σκαλουν, &c. Vid, Cluv. lib. i. p. 22. Pellout. vol. I. p. 2.
§. Οι δε ΕΤΙ ΠΡΟΤΕΡΟΝ διαλογίες, &c. ​Arimaspians; as they did those beyond the Caspian Sea into the Sacæ and Messagetæ.” These Sacæ and Messagetæ might possibly be the ancestors of the Saxons and Goths, (as these last are fully proved to have been the Getæ of the ancients) who, in the time of those very remote Greek writers, possibly had not penetrated so far westward as they did afterwards: As it is well known that the Germanii are mentioned by Herodotus as a Persian people. Now the most authentic historians and poets of the Gothic or Teutonic nations all agree that their ancestors came at different emigrations from the more eastern countries. But with regard to the three other nations, the Hyperboreans, the Sauromatæ and the Arimaspians; if we agree with Pelloutier, that under the two former the Celts and Sarmatians are plainly designed; when he contends that the Arimaspians are a meer fabulous people, which never existed, who does not see that he is blinded by hypothesis? Why may not the ancient Finns or Laplanders have been intended by this term, which he himself interprets from Herodotus to signify One-eyed, and supposes it descriptive of some nation that excelled in archery, as alluding to their practice of winking with ​Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/28 ​Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/29 ​Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/30 ​Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/31 ​Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/32 ​Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/33 ​Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/34 ​Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/35 ​Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/36 ​Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/37 ​Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/38 ​Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/39 ​Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/40 ​Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/41 ​Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/42 ​I shall now proceed to lay before the Reader Specimens of the Gothic and Celtic Languages, properly classed and confronted with each other: Which, it is apprehended, will decide this question better than any conjectural or moral reasoning.
That the Specimens may be the better understood, it will be useful to give a short Genealogical Table, showing what particular Languages are descended
​from those two great Mother Tongues, by what immediate Branches they derive their descent, and what degree of affinity they severally bear to each other. This scheme of the Gothic Languages is copied from the Preface to Dr. Hickes’s Institutiones Grammaticæ Anglo-Saxonicæ, &c. Oxon. 1689. 4to. this of the Celtic Tongues, from the best writers I have met with on the subject.
Specimens of the Gothic Languages.
The ancient Gothic of Ulphilas.
Atta unsar thu in Himinam. 1. Veihnai Namo thein. 2. Quimai thiudinassus theins. 3. Vairthai Vilja theins, sue in Himina, jah ana Airthai. 4. Hlaif unsarana thana sinteinan gif uns himmadaga. 5. Jah aflet uns thatei Sculans sijaima sua sue jah veis afletam thaim Skulam unsaraim. 6. Jah ni bringais uns in Fraistubnjai. 7. Ak lausei uns af thamma Ubilin. Amen.
The Ancient Languages derived from the Gothic.
Specimens of the Celtic Languages.
The Ancient Languages derived from the Celtic.
Specimens of the Gothic Languages.
I. Modern Languages derived from the Old Saxon.
Specimens of the Celtic Languages.
II. Modern Languages derived from the Ancient British, or Cymraeg.
I. Welsh, or Cymraeg.
Ein Tad, yr hwn wyt yn y Nefoedd. 1. Sancteid- dier dy Enw. 2. Deved dy Deyrnas. 3. Bydded dy Ewyllys ar y Ddaiar megis y mae yn y Nefoedd. 4. Dyro i ni Heddyw ein Bara beunyddiol. 5. A madde ini ein Dyledion fel y maddeuwn ni in Dyled- wyr. 6. Ag nag arwain ni i Brofedigaeth. 7. Ei- thr gwared ni rhag Drwg. Amen.
Specimens of the Gothic Languages.
II. Modern Languages derived from the Ancient German, or Francic, &c.
III. The Swiss Language.
Vatter unser, der du bist in Himlen. 1. Geheyligt werd dyn Nam. 2. Zukumm uns dijn Rijch. 3. Dyn Will geschahe, wie im Himmel, also auch uff Erden. 4. Gib uns hut unser taglich Brot. 5. Und vergib uns unsere Schulden, wie anch wir vergaben unsern Schuldneren. 6. Und fuhr uns nicht in Versuchnyss. 7. Sunder erlos uns von dem Bosen. Amen.
[From Chamberlayn, p. 65.]
Specimens of the Celtic Languages.
III. Modern Languages derived from the Ancient Irish.
III. Manks, or Language of the Isle of Man.
Ayr ain, t’ayns Niau; 1. Casberick dy row dt’ Ennym. 2. Dy jig dty Reeriaght. 3. Dt’ aigney dy row jeant er y Thalao, myr te ayns Niau. 4. Cur dooin nyn Arran jiu as gagblaa. 5. As leib dooin nyn loghtyn, myr ta shin leib dauesyn ta jannoo loghtyn nyn’ oc. 6. As ny leeid shin ayns miolagh. 7. Agh livrey shin veih Olk. Amen.
Specimens of the Gothic Languages.
III. Modern Languages derived from the Ancient Scandinavian, or Icelandic, called (by some Writers) Cimbric, or Cimbro-Gothic.
Specimens of the Finn and Lapland Tongues.
A Specimen of the Cantabrian or Biscayan Language, still preserved in Spain.
The Basque.
Gure Aita keruétan carréña. 1. Erabilbedi sainduqui çure Icena. 2. Ethorbedi çure Erressuma. 3. Eguinbedi çure Borondatea ceru'an becala turre' an are. 4. Emandieçagucu egun gure egunorozco oguia. 5. Eta barkhadietcatgutçu gure gorrac gucere gure cardunei barkhatcendiotçaguten becala. 6. Eta ezgaitçatcu utc tentacionétan erortcerat. 7. Aitcitic beguiragaitcatçu gaite gucietaric. Halabiz.
[From Chamberlayn, p. 44.]
REMARKS
on the
FOREGOING VERSIONS:
and first
Of the Gothic Specimens.
THE great and uniform similitude, discoverable at first sight between all the Specimens of the Gothic or Teutonic Languages, must be very striking, even to foreigners unacquainted with these Tongues: But to those that know them intimately the affinity must appear much nearer and stronger, because many words that were originally the same, are disguised by the variations of Pronunciation and Orthography, as well as by the difference of Idiom: Thus, the German Geheiliget, and the English Hallowed, are both equally derived from the Teutonic Helig, Holy.
It may further be observed, that Time has introduced a change, not only in the Form, but in the Meaning of many Words, so that though they are equally preserved in the different Dialects, they no longer retain the same uniform appearance, nor can be used with propriety to express the same exact meaning. Thus, the Latin Word Panis is translated in the Gothic and Anglo-Saxon Hlaf, or Hlaif, which word is still current among us in its derivative Loaf, but with a variation of sense that made it less proper to be used in the Pater-noster than the other Teutonic word Bread, which is preserved in all the other Dialects, but in a great variety of Forms. Thus from the old Francic Brot, or Cimbric Brodh, come the Swiss, Brot; The Swedish, Brod; The High ​and Low Dutch, Broodt; The Norse, Brauta; The Icelandic, Braud; The English, Bread; The Scottish, Breid; The Danish, Bred; and the Frisic, Bræ.
Again, it is possible that in many of these Languages there was more than one word to express the same idea; and if there was a variety, then the different Translators, by using some of them one word, and the rest another, have introduced a greater difference into their Versions than really subsisted in their several Languages. Of this kind I esteem the word Atta, (Pater) used by Ulphilas, whose countrymen had probably another word of the same origin as Fader or Father, as well as all the other Gothic nations: So again, the Anglo-Saxons (besides their word Hlaf) had probably another term, whence we derived our present word Bread. As for the Gothic word Atta, (whence the Frisic Haita, and perhaps the Lapland Atki,) however Ulphilas came by it, it seems evidently of the same origin as the old Cantabrian Aita.
Lastly, a great difference will appear to Foreigners from the different arrangement of the same words, but more especially from the difference of Translation; for the Pater-noster has not been rendered in the several Versions in the same uniform manner. Thus, in the High Dutch and Danish, the first sentence is expressed contractedly, Noster Pater in Cœlis. In the Gothic of Ulphilas, Pater Noster tu in Cœlis. In the others more at large, Pater Noster tu es in Cœlis, or Noster Pater qui es in Cœlis, &c. &c. And what is still more remarkable in the Anglo-Saxon, the fourth Petition is rendered, not panem nostrum quotidianum, but panem nostrum supernaturalem; as it was interpreted also by some of the ancient Fathers.
But to confirm the foregoing Remarks by one general Illustration, I shall confront the High Dutch Specimen, with a literal English Version, which will support the assertion made above, (p. xxi.) that these two Languages still prove their affinity, notwithstanding the different mediums through which they have descended, and the many ages that have elapsed since their separation.
Teutonic Languages, I must observe, that the old Scandinavian Tongue is commonly called Cimbric, or Cimbro-Gothic, as it was the dialect that chiefly prevailed among the Gothic Tribes, who inhabited the Cimbrica Chersonesus, &c. But whether the ancient CIMBRI, and their confederates the TEUTONES, who made the irruption into the Roman Empire in the time of Marius, were a Celtic or a Gothic people, may perhaps admit of fome disquisition.
They who contend that they were Celts, may urge the resemblance of the name of Cimbri to that of Cymri, by which the Britons have always called themselves in their own language: They may also produce the authority of Appian, who expressly calls the Cimbri Celts; as well as of several of the Roman Authors, who scruple not to name them Gauls. It may further be obferved in favour of this opinion, that the emigration of fo large a body of the old Celtic inhabitants, would facilitate the invasion of the Gothic tribes who succeeded them in these northern settlements, and will account for the rapid conquests of Odin and his Asiatic followers: It might also be conjectured, that the small scattered remains of these old Celtic Cimbri, were the Savage Men who lurked up and down in the forests and mountains, as described by the ancient Icelandic Historians, and who, in their size and ferocity, so well correspond with the
among our countrymen fo late as the reign of Queen Elizabeth: Thus, in the famous libel of STUBS, intitled, "The Difcoverie of a gaping "Gulf, whereinto England is like to be fwallowed by another French "Marriage," &c. printed Anno 1579. fmall 8vo. (Sign. C. 7. b.) The Author talks of the Queen's "having the Kingrike in her own per- "fon;" meaning the regal dominion, authority, &c. See alfo Verfti- gan's Antiquities, Lond. 1634. p. 215. ​descriptions given us of their countrymen that invaded the Roman Empire. Thus far such an opinion is equally consistent, both with the Roman and Northern Historians.
On the other hand, that the Cimbri of Marius were not a Celtic, but a German or a Gothic people, is an opinion that may be supported with no slight arguments. On this head it may be observed, with our Author Mons. Mallet, “that the Ancients generally considered this people as a branch of the Germans,” and that their tall stature and general character rather corresponds with the description of the Germans than of the Celts: That as for the name of Cimbri or Cimber, it is resolvable into a word in the German Language, which signifies Warrior or Warlike: And that the authorities of the Roman Historians cannot much be depended on, because (as has been before observed) they were seldom exact in the names they gave to the Barbarous Nations. It may further be urged, that the facility with which the Cimbri made their way through Germany into ​Gaul, renders it probable that they were rather a branch of the German people, than of a race in constant enmity with them, like the Celts, and who, upon that account, would have been opposed in their passage; especially as the Germans appear in these countries rather to have prevailed over the Celts, and to have forced them westward, driving them out of many of their settlements. But lastly, if the Cimbri had been a Celtic people, then such of them as were left behind in their own country, and were afterwards swallowed up among the succeeding Gothic Tribes who invaded Scandinavia, would have given a tincture of their Celtic Language to that branch of the Teutonic, which was spoke in these countries: Or, at least, we should have found more Celtic names of Mountains, Rivers, &c. in the Cimbric Chersonese than in other Gothic Settlements: But I do not find that either of thefe is the case; the old Icelandic seems to be as free from any Celtic mixture, as any other Gothic Dialect; nor is there any remarkable prevalence of Celtic names in the peninsula of Jutland, more than in any part of Germany; where I believe its former Celtic inhabitants have up and down left behind them a few names of places, chiefly of natural situations, as of Rivers, Mountains, &c. This at least is the case in England, where, although the Britons were so intirely extirpated, that scarce a single word of the Welsh Language was admitted by the Saxons; and although the names of Towns and Villages are almost universally of Anglo-Saxon derivation, yet the Hills, Forests, Rivers, &c. have generally retained their old Celtic names.
But whether the old Cimbri were Celts or Goths, yet forasmuch as from the time of Odin, both the Cimbrica Chersonesus, and all the neighbouring regions were become entirely Gothic settlements, the Gothic Dialect which prevailed in these countries is called by Antiquaries Cimbric, and ​Cimbro-Gothic: It is also sometimes termed Old Icelandic, because many of the best writers in it came from Iceland, and because the Cimbric has been more perfectly preserved in that island than in any other settlement. To the old original mother tongue of all the Gothic Dialects, it has been usual (after Verstegan) to give the name of Teutonic, not so much from the Teutones or Teutoni, who inhabited the Danish islands, and were brethren to the Cimbri, as from its being the ancient Tuytsh, the language of Tuisto, and his votaries; the great Father and Deity of the German Tribes.
To conclude this subject; whoever would trace the several Teutonic Languages up to their source, and proceed upon sure and solid principles in inquiries of this kind, need only have recourse to that great and admirable work, LINGUARUM Vett. Septentrionalium THESAURUS Grammatico-Criticus et Archæologicus Autore GEORGIO HICKES. S. T. P. Oxon. 1705. 2 Vols. folio.
Of the Celtic Specimens.
AS the strong resemblance of the several Gothic Specimens to each other, so their radical dissimilitude to those of Celtic origin, must appear decisive of the great question discussed in the foregoing Preface. Had these two Languages ever had any pretensions to be considered as congenial, the further ther we traced them back, the stronger would be the resemblance between them; but the most ancient Specimens appear as utterly dissimilar, as the most ​modern; not but here and there a word may have been accidentally caught up on either side: viz. borrowed by the Goths from the Celtic Language, and vice versâ; or perhaps adopted by each of them from some third Language radically different from them both. Thus, from the Welsh Tâd, our vulgar have got the common English word Dad and Daddy: And from the French Delivre, are derived both the English Deliver, and the Armoric Diluir, whence the Cornish Dilver.
In conformity to the opinion of the most knowing Antiquaries, I have given the Irish and Erse Tongues as descended from one common original with the Cambrian, or ancient British Languages, viz. the Welsh, Armoric, and Cornish. But, to confess my own opinion, I cannot think they are equally derived from one common Celtic Stock; at least not in the same uniform manner as any two branches of the Gothic; such, for instance, as the Anglo-Saxon and Francic, from the Old Teutonic. Upon comparing the two ancient Specimens given above in pag. xxvii. scarce any resemblance appears between them; so that if the learned will have them to be streams from one common fountain, it must be allowed, that one or both of them have been greatly polluted in their course, and received large inlets from some other channel.
But, notwithstanding this apparent dissimilitude, the celebrated Lluyd, and others who have investigated this subject, firmly maintain, that there is a real affinity between the Irish and Cambrian Tongues, and that a great part of both Languages is radically the same. He has further shown, that many names of places in South-Britain, and even in Wales itself, the meaning of which is lost in the Welsh Language, can only be explained from words now extant in the Irish and Erse Tongues: An incontestible proof either that the Irish or Erse Language originally prevailed all over the southern parts of this island, or that it is of congenial origin with the Cambrian or Welsh, and so ​has preserved many words, which are now loft in the other.
Indeed a good reason may be assigned why the several branches of the Old Celtic differ to the eye so much more than the derivatives of any other Language: viz. In the Celtic Tongue words are declined by changing, not the Terminations, but the Initial Letters in the oblique cases, or by prefixing an article with an apostrophe (either expressed or implied); so that those who are ignorant of this language are apt to confound the radical Letters, with such as are merely superadded and accidental; or to think two words utterly dissimilar, that are only made so by an occasional Prefix or a variety of Declension: To give one instance (out of innumerable) of the latter kind, the British word Pen, in construction regularly assumes the form of Ben, Phen and Mhen. e. g.
    Pen, a Head.
    Pen gûr, a Man's Head.
    i Ben, his Head.
    i Phen, her Head.
    y’m Mhen, my Head.
​Before I conclude thefe flight Remarks, I muft beg leave to obferve, that as the great fubject of this pre- fent book is GOTHIC ANTIQUITIES, which I appre- kend to be totally diftinct from the CELTIC, I only pretend to be exact and precife as to the GOTHIC or TEUTONIC Languages; but do not take upon me to decide on any of the points which relate either to the CELTIC Antiquities or CELTIC Tongues. For this reafon I avoid entering into the difpute, which has of late fo much interefted our countrymen in North- Britain viz. Whether the ERSE Language was firft spoken in Scotland or Ireland. Before the inquifitive Reader adopts either opinion, he would do well to con- fider many curious hints, which are fcattered up and down in LLUYD's moft excellent Archeologia Britan- nica, 1707. fol. and efpecially in his WELSH and IRISH Prefaces, referred to in the foregoing Note. The Specimen of the ERSE or HIGHLAND SCOT- TISH, in p. xxxi. is extracted from the New Tefta- ment lately publiſhed at Edinburgh, wherein this Language is called Gaidhlig Albannaich; and upon the authority of that book I have fo named it here. This I mention by way of caveat againft the cenfure of thofe who contend that the true name is GAELIC or GALIC, and that this word is the fame with GALLIC, the name of the ancient Language of GAUL. With- out deciding the queftion as to the origin of the ERSE Language itfelf, I muft obferve upon the ancient name of GALLIC, that this does not feem to have been used by the natives of GAUL themfelves, but to \have been given them by foreigners: They called themſelves CELTÆ, and their Language CELTIC;
Bell. Gal. L. 1." CELTE, the Gauls, Gædil, Cadil, or Keill, and in the plural, according to our dialect, Keiliet, or Keilt, (now "Guidhelod) Irifhmen. The word Keilt could not be otherwife writ- ten by the Romans, than Ceilte or Celta." See Lluyd's Irish Preface, p. 107. in Nicholfon's Irish Hiftorian. ​Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/63 ​Page:Northern Antiquities 1.djvu/64 ​British names: But when he boldly proceeds to our names of Villages and Towns, which are most of them purely Saxon and English, he falls into such diverting blunders as these, viz.
* ACTON (which is from the Saxon Ac, an Oak, and Ton, a Town) he derives from Ac, a River, and Ton, Habitation.
* ASTON (which is merely Eaft-town, as in fome parts of England Eafter is ftill called After) he will have from As, River, and Ton, Habitation.
* AUKLAND (which is probably old English for OAK-LAND) he fetches from Oc, a little Hill, Lan, River, and D from Dy, Two.
* COLBROKE, he fays, comes from the Saxon Broke, a Bridge; i. e. a Bridge over the Colne.
* DICH-MARSH, he derives from Dich, which he fays is from Dichlud, Borne, and Mar, Water. Dich-mar, Land borne up by Water.
* HANWELL, he says, is from Han, a Bending, and Val, in composition Vel, a River.
* HIGHAM (a borough in Northamptonfhire, which ftands on a hill, at fome diftance from any river, and which was doubtlefs named from its elevated fituation, High-ham; i. e. the Home or Habitation on High Ground: See Verftigan :) this writer derives from 7, a River, and Cam, in compofition Gam, a Bending.
* NORTHAMPTON, (either so named in contradistinction to SOUTH HAMPTON, or, according to Camden, originally North-avonton;) this egregious Etymologift derives from Nor, (Embouchure) the Mouth of a river, Tan, a River, and Ton, Habitation.
* NORTHILL, (which I suppose is merely North-Hill) he derives from Nor, River, and Tyle, Habitation.
* OUNDALE (contracted for Avon-dale) he derives from Avon, a River, and Dal, Inclosed, surrounded.
* RINGWOOD (i. e. I suppose, a “Wood ring-fenced,” a common forest term) he derives from Ren (Partage) a Division, Cw, River, and Hed, a Forest. ​
* Stanford (i. e. Stone, or Stony Ford) he derives from Stan (Embouchure) a Mouth of a River,Vor, pronounced For, Near.
* Stratton (i. e. Street-Town, the name of a Town on the Watling-street) from Strat, Land near a River, and Ton, Habitation: Or, from Ster, Rivers, At, Junction or Joining, and Ton, Habitation.
* Uxbridge, (supposed by some to be corrupted from Ouse-bridge) he derives from Uc, River, and Brig (Partage) Division.
Such are the derivations of a writer who fets out to explain the meaning of English names of places, without understanding the signification of our common English words Land, Brook, Marsh, Well, High, North, Hill, Dale, Wood, Ford, Street or Bridge!
So much for Celtic Etymologies!
POSTSCRIPT.
TO the modern Tongues derived from the Old Cimbro-Gothic above mentioned in p. xxxii. may be added a Specimen of the Language spoken by the common people in the Isles of Orkney. This is preserved by Dr. Wallace, in his Account of those Islands, “Lond. 1700. 8vo.” Who tells us it is called by the natives Norns. It seems to be a corruption of the Norse, Icelandic, &c. and is as follows:
“Favor i ir i Chimrie. 1. Helleur ir i Nam thite. 2. Gilla cosdum thite cumma. 3. Veya thine mota var gort o Yurn sinna gort i Chimrie. 4. Gav vus da on da dalight Brow vora. 5. Firgive vus Sinna vora sin vee firgive Sindara mutha vus. 6. Lyv vus ye i Tumtation. 7. Min delivera vus fro Olt ilt. Amen.”
☛ I suspect the above Copy to be incorrectly printed by Wallace: that “Helleur” should be “Helleut,” &c. &c.
* ↑ When the present Translation was undertaken, only the first edition of the original had appeared; and from that several of the first chapters were translated: In that edition the first volume was not, as here, divided into XIII. Chapters, but into V. Books. Afterwards the Author revised his work, and published a new edition, in which he not only made the new division above-mentioned, but many considerable alterations both in the Text and Notes. It was necessary to accommodate the Version to this new Revisal, but the Translator could not help retaining in the margin many of the rejected Passages, which he thought too valuable. to be wholly discarded.
* ↑ Philippi CluverI Germaniæ Antiquæ Libri Tres, &c. Lugduni Batav. Apud Elzev, 1616. folio.
* ↑ Antiquitates Selectæ Septentrionales et Celticæ, &c. Autore Joh. Georgio Keysler, &c. Hannoveræ 1720. 8vo.
* ↑ Histoire des Celtes, et particulierement des Gaulois et des Germains, &c. par Mr. Simon Pelloutier. Haye 1750. 2 Tom. 12me. This learned Writer, who is a protestant minister, counsellor of the Consistory, and librarian to the academy at Berlin, is descended from a family originally of Languedoc, and was born at Leipsic, 27 October, 1694. O. S. (v. France literaire, Tom. I.)
* ↑ Though the words Gothic or Teutonic are often substituted in the Translation, instead of the Author's favourite word Celtique; yet care has been taken to represent the Author’s own expression in the margin. Sometimes where it was not needful to be very precise, the word Gothic has only been added to the Author's word Celtic; but the insertion is carefully distinguished by inverted commas.
* ↑ La langue Alemande est un reste de l’ancienne langue des Celtes. Pelloutier, vol. I. p. 165, &c.
* ↑ Vid. Cluv. lib. I. cap. vi, vii, viii, &c. Pellout. liv. I. chap. xv.
* ↑ See that excellent antiquary Lluyd, in Archæologia Britannica, &c. not to mention many late writers of a different Stamp, viz. Jones, Parsons, &c. &c.
* ↑ That the present Welsh language is the genuine daughter of the ancient British spoken in the time of the Romans, cannot be disputed; because we have now extant MSS. writ in every age from the Roman times down to the present, which plainly prove the descent, and are not unintelligible to the prefent inhabitants of Wales. (See Evans’s specimens of Welsh poetry, 4to.) Now that the ancient British differed little from the Gaulish, we are, assured by Tacitus. Sermo haud multum divorsus. Tacit. Agric. c. ii.
* ↑ Fuit antea tempus cum Germanos Galli virtute superarent et ultrò bella inferrent, ac .... trans Rhenum colonias mitterent, &c. Vid. plura apud Cæs. de Bell. Gall. lib. vi.
* ↑ This Cæsar expresly tells us of the Belgæ, who were settled to the north of the Seine and the Marne. Plerosque Belgas esse ortos à Germania; Rhenumque antiquitus transductos, propter loci fertilitatem ibi consedisse; Gallosque qui ca loca incollerent, expulisse. De Bell, Gall. lib. ii.
* ↑ See Pelloutier, vol. I. liv. 1. ch. ii. passim.
* ↑ See Pelloutier, vol. I. p. 17.
* ↑ 4
* ↑ See Pelloutier, liv. 1. ch. viii. vol I. p. 46, 47, &c. notes.
* ↑ Herod. in Clio. (Greek characters). Edit. R. Steph. 1570. pag. 34.
* ↑ All the old northern Scalds and historians agree that their ancestors came thither from the East, but then some of them, to do the greater honour to their country, and to its antiquities, pretend that they first made an emigration into the East from Scandinavia. See Sheringham De Anglorum Gentis origine, Cartabrigia 1670. 8vo. paßim. It is the great fault of Sheringham not to know how to distinguish what is true and credible from what is improbable and fabulous in the old Northern Chronicles: Because some parts are true, he receives all for authentic; as a late ingenious writer, because some parts are fabulous, is for rejecting all as false. (See Clarke, in his learned Treatise on the Connexion between the Roman, Saxon and English Coins, &c. Lond. 1767. 4to.) By the same rule we might reject the whole Grecian history: For that of the North has, like it, its fabulous, its doubtful, and more certain Periods; which acute and judicious criticks will easily distinguish.
* ↑ Liv. 1. chap. i.
* ↑ Vol. I. p. 9, 10.
* ↑ This is also called Moeso-Gothic, being the Dialect of the Goths in Moesia, where Ulphilas was Bishop. See below, p. 366.
* ↑ The above Specimen of the ancient Irish is judged to be a thousand years old. See O Connor’s Dissertation on the History of Ireland. Dublin, 1766. 8vo.
* ↑ Feichneinibh.
* ↑ This is evidently a contraction of Unsar, antiqu. Unser, sc. U’er, Ure. In our midland countries, Our is pronounced Wor or Wer, like the Swedish or Norse. The Swiss, and some of the other German Dialects give the first sentence more fully, thus; Du bist in Himlen: This is literally the same with our vulgar phrase, Thou beest, or bist in Heaven.
* ↑ The old Teutonic word Rick, is still preserved in the termination of our English Bishop-rick; and even King-rike for Kingdome was in use
* ↑ Perhaps from the Lat. hodie.
* ↑ Described below, in Chap. II.
* ↑ “Appianus in Illyricis Cimbros Celtas, addito quos Cimbros vocant, appellavit. Et evolve Florum, Lib. III. Cap. 3. Salustium Bell. Jugurth. in fine. Rufum Brev. Cap. VI. qui omnes Cimbros diserté Gallos, et ab extremis Galliæ profugos, nominarunt.” Speneri Notitia Germaniæ Antiquæ. Hal. Magd. 1717. 4:o. p. 123.
* ↑ See below, p. 35, &c.
* ↑ See below, p. 21.
* ↑ Germanis quidem Camp exercitum aut locum ubi exercitus castra metatur, significat; inde ipsis vir castrensis et militaris Kemffer et Kempher et Kemper et Kimber et Kamper, pro varietate dialectorum vocatur; vocabulum hoc nostro [sc. Anglico] Sermone nondum penitus exolevit; Norfolciences enim plebeio et proletario sermone dicunt “He is a Kemper Old Man,” i. e. Senex vegetus est, Sheringham, p. 57. See also, Kemperye Man, in the Reliques of Ancient English Poetry, Vol. I. p. 70. Sheringham afterwards adds, Illud autem hoc loco omittendum non est, Cimbros quoque à proceritate corporis hoc nomen habere potuisse – – – – – Kimber enim aliâ significatione hominem giganteâ corporis mole præditum designat. “Danico hodie idiomate, (inquit Pontanus, in additam. ad Hist. Dan. lib. 1.) Kimber sive Kempe et Kemper non bellatorem tantâm, sed proprie Gigantem notat.” Sheringh. p. 58. From hence it should seem, that a gigantic person was called Kimber, from his resemblance to the ancient Cimbri; rather than that this people were called Cimbri, from their gigantic size; so that this favours the opinion that the Cimbri were a different Race from the ancient Danes, &c. because no nation would think of calling themselves Giants; for if they were all uniformly gigantic, there would appear to themselves nothing remarkable in their size: whereas this would strike another people, as a primary and leading Distinction.
* ↑ See p. vi.
* ↑ See Penigent, Arden, Avon, &c. in Camden's Britannia, and that Author passim.
* ↑ Restitution of decayed Intelligence. 4to. passim. See also Speneri Notit. Antiq. Germ. L. 4. p. 104.
* ↑ Celebrant Carminibus antiquis (quod unum apud illos. sc. Germanos, memoria et annalium genus est) Tuistonem Deum, Terrâ editum, et filium Mannum originem gentis, conditoresque. Tacit. de Mor. German. This Mannus is evidently Man, the offspring of Tuisto, the supreme Deity.
* ↑ LLUYD thinks both thefe caufes have concurred, viz. I. That the an- ceftors of the Irish and Highland Scots, fc. the ancient GuYDHELIANS, were the old original Celts, who firft inhabited this ifland: And that the Cymri, or Welfh, were another and different race of Celts, (a branch of the Celtic Cimbri) who fucceeded the other, and drove them north- wards. II. That the Language of both thefe people, though originally the fame, had defcended down through different channels, and was rendered ftill more widely diftant; 1. By the additional mixture of Cantabrian words imported into Ireland by the Scots, who came from Spain and fet- tled among the old Guydelian Celts from Britain: And, 2. By the changes the Cymraeg or Welsh Language fuffered during the fubjection of 500 Years to the Romans, &c. (See Lluyd's WELSH and IRISH Prefaces, tranflated in the Appendix to Nicholfon's IRISH HISTORI- CAL LIBRARY, &c. 1736. folio.) See alfo MAITLAND'S "Hiftory of Scotland, 2 Vols, folio," who has fome things curious on this fubject, particularly on the paf- fage of the Cimbri into Britain; but the generality of his book fhews a judgment fo warped by national prejudice; is fo evidently de- figned to fupport a favourite hypothefis, and is writ with fuch a fpirit of coarfe invective, that the Reader will be conftantly led to fufpect that his quotations are unfair, and his arguments fallacious. To mention only one inftance of this Writer's ftrange perverfion of Hiftory, he fets out with denying, in the teeth of Cæfar and all the ancients, that the OLD BRITONS WERE EVER PAINTED!
* ↑ 1
This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse