Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1856-05-24
The Engllsh Language.

English is the language of every day and every
hour, the instrument and vehicle of perpetual
thought That it may be successfully cultivated,
without any knowledge of other tongues, no one
can deny, who turns his attention to modern lite
rature That it is superior to all others as a me-
dunn, precise and vigorous, many competent
judges testify. There is now lying before us a No.
of the old Wesleyan Magazine containing letter
by the learned DR.. Adam Clarke. We will make
an extract, the perusal which will amply reward
any person who has never seen the original.
"A very learned Frenchman conversing with
Dr. Wallis towards the close Of the year 1858 ex-
patiating on the copiousness Of his native language
and its richness in derivation and synoymes, pro-
duced in proof four verses on rope making which
he appears to have composed for the purpose.
Though technically formed, they are admirably
smooth and expressive
"Quand un cordier cordant veult corders une corde
Prem "a corte corden, trois cortons II accorde
Mxis. ri un des cordons de Ia corde decOrde
LIE Gordon decordant fait decorder la cord"
ITO show that the English language was at least
equally rich and copious, DR.. Wallis Immediately
translated the verses into English, word for word,
and of equal syllables, taking the word t~ist for
the Frenchman's word corde:
'when a twister a.twisting will twist him twist;
For twisting his twist he three times doth untwist,
But IL one OF the twines Of the twist doth untwist,
The Irvine that untwsteth untwisteth the twine."
"Where nouns, verbs, participles and synonymes
precisely equal to those of the Frenchman in num-
bers, quantity and force; but to show that the
richness of his language was not exhausted, he
added the four following lines, which continue the
subject:
"Untwisting the Irvine that untwisted between,
He twrs with his twister the two in q Irvine,
Then twice having twisted the twnes Of the twine,
He twisted the twine he had twisted in twain
The French funds being previously exhausted,
no attempt could be made to bring parallel. The
English mine, however, was still rich, and to show
that it could still be worked to advantage, Dr.
Wallis added the following quotation:
"The twain that in twinng pefore in the Irvine
As twins were intwisted, he now doth untW1ne
Twixt the twain interviewing Irvine more 'ween,
He twring his twister makes u twist OF twine."
We question much whether there is q language
in the universe capable of such variety Of fec
tons, or which can afford 50 many terms and de-
rivatives, all legitimate, coming from one radix,
without borrowing single term from any other
tongue or coming one for the purpose for there is
not word used above that is not pure Anglo Saxon,
not one exotic being entertained. Why isnot such
a language as this better studied-why is it not
studied analytieally2 1t is by analysis that we
can discover its force and truth. tits the language
Of every art and Of every science, for there is no
other in which they can be SO well understood.
Whatever has been effected by the greatest Grecian
or Roman orators can be effected by the American
who fully understands his mother tongue, and per
haps above al the languages Of all the babblng
nations Of the earth, the English is that in which
the sublime genius Of man can most forcibly and
effectively recommend itself to the world
" f7f CENTENARY CoLL1GR, |