The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1851-06-14
The English Language,

The EG,Hjuy Reri1r, in IN article on the
Structure of the English Language brings to.
gether many curious facts illustrative of the i'm.
portance Of the Anglo o-Saxon elementin that Ian.
guage 1t states that the names Of the greater
part OF the objects Of sense, those terms which
occur most frequently in discourse, or which re-
call tho most vivid conceptions. are Ang,o.Saxon
S'" moon, stare, earth, IRE and icafgT, are Anglo
Saxon; so are -pripg, summer. and TinicT and
also ddH night, morning. cr'HiDy tWiiight, noon,
mjdntgM midddN sunrise, and sunset To tho
Auglo-SaXon belong Hght hrdt, cyid, frost, rain,
'"oc, haH slcr', h,od'r and iighh.H.g, together
with sea and idnd hW and dalc, rood and stream
Equally prolific in the same clement Of our moth.
er tongue Of those words which are expressive
Of the earliest aud deares, connections, and the
strongest and most powerful feelings of our ma.
ture : as Jd.h,r mother husband uite sister son.
daughter, child, hotas, Kindred and friends OF
the same class are h,ayfh, roof Ereside iotr hoD.
tear, sorrow snd shame, all Of which are Anglo,
Saxon rs arr tear miis Jl4Sh to iaugl to lceep TO
sigh, 10 groan.
As a general rule, it may be stated, says the
writer, that while our most abstract and general
terms are derived from the Latin, those Which de
note the sperlal varieties Of objects. qualities. and
modes Of action, are derived from the Anglu.Sax
on. Thus more aud motion are very general
terms, and OF Latin origin but all those terms
for expressing nee varieties Of bodily motion are
Auglo-SaXon Sound is perhaps Latin, though it
may also he Auglo Sax.n; but TO bUz: 10 INN. 10
cIdSh, TO kiSs 10 rcuie. dc, are Saxon. Coior is
Latin, but ~hptc, black, gretn ysl!ov, j!ue, red
JIo,ra, are Anglo Saxon. Crime is Latin; but
murder, httt, robbery, 10 he, 10 S,eai ale Anglo.
saxon. N,mJer and o'gas, as applied tn tie
body, are Latin aud Greek; but sI-, eye. Lafd
foot, Gps mouth tss'h hair finger, nosirii are An.
gIo Saxon. .Aaimali, Latin; hut man. con, sLssp
cdit, cat, are Anglo Saxon NtmL,r Is inmeil-
alely French remotely Latin; Int all our cardi
nal and ordnal numbers, as far as a miKior, are
Anglo Saxon, and that would have been So too, if
1t had ever entered the head, of our barbarous
ancestors to form a conception OF sueh u number
Our earliest word, those Of childhood with which
are associated So many cudrarng recullcctIons are
Anglo Saxon
The Augio.SaXon is the language for the most
part OF business; Of the counting house, the shop
the market, the street the farm, and however
miserable the man who Is fond OF philosophy or
abstract science might be if he had no other vo.
cabuary but this we must recollcct that Ian.
gua.e was made not for the few but the many
and that that portion of it which enables the bulk
of nation to express their wants aud transact
much Importance to general happiness as that
which serves the purposes of Philosophical sci
ence.' The Anglo.SaIon supplies most Of the
proverbs Of the Engi, language and Il /. little
matter of wonder, that IN those simple narratives
IN which genius and wisdom attempt the most
difficult oi all ta>ks-that of teaching philosophy
without the forms Of il, and Of eShibtiag gcncr.
al truths in facts and examples. leaving the in.
terenceS to be drawn by the instructive Sagaci,y
Of human nature--the terms are almost without
exception AngloSaXon. II is thus with the mar
rativeS OF the Old Tcstlmcut-the history uf 10.
seph, for inStaucc-Ond with the parallels Of the
New; perhaps the only compositions in the world
which can be translated without losing much in
the process, aud which. into whatever language
! translated, nt once assume most idOmltiC dress.
| The same remark holds good. Ia certain extent,
of Robinson CruSoe The Vicar Of lGdksfcid
| GWbnsrs Ir0r,is and ether works, IN which the
bulk of the words are pure Saxon" The greater
anl stronger proportion Of the language Of inyec.
tive, humor, satire, dc, is Anglo Saxon Our nu.
thor remarks that almost all the terms and
phrases by which we most enrrgeucally express
anger, contempt, and Indignation, arc Of Anglo.
Saxon origin. Nearly all the obnoxious words
and phrases which cause ducls and sudden pu
gilistc contests, are from this language; and q
very large proportion Of the prosecutions for as
sault and battery ought in all fairness, to be
charged on the inconyeniont strength of the yer
nacular The Latin, We opprelcnd, much to it.
credit is very rarely implicated in these unpeas
ant broils although it often has n sly way If in
sinuating the very same things without giving
such deadly offence
! The reason why the comic drama and satire Of
any language is 80 difficult to a foreigner is he