Polynesian., 1862-10-11
-" 4" the great first cause
Acts not by partial, but by general laws"

And this language being the most natural, is con-
sequently most in accordance with the great plan of
the God If Nature.
Such being its innate claims to our attention, an
other question would to arise out of its very
structure and constitution. For, its being natural
language ought TO have given it tenacity of life
superior to that of others. Do, then any of
its existence remain in the great Asiatic European
continent, in part of which it had its seat
This is question to be determined by those learned
in the languages ancient and modern, that flourish,
or once hourished, in these vast regions. / myself
am but poorly fitted for the inquiry, for l am
great linguist. Latin have studied and read pretty
largely. But the original Roman tongue seems to
have grown out of the coaescent speech of various
races, and that ancient t"ngue unntelligible
Cicero. Few words therefore retaining much of
their original form, can be supposed to have cone
down to us. Yet in the Latin tongue, we have it,
there very considerable number of words
ngly of Polynesian descent In Greek L am but
moderately skilled that is to say, read Homer and
the more easy prose writers with tolerable facility,
yet not without occasional difficulty. have, how
ever, found in that language great mass of words,
amounting probably to hundreds, which are,
ceve, of undoubted Polynesian origin, and had the
Odyssee q have only the Illiad by mel could
siderabiy augment the number. Of Sanscrit L never
had but a smatterng, and have not a Sanscrit
book for more than twenty years. yet from my reco-
ectOns, an / from occasional Sanscrit words picked
up in dictionaries, &C.. trace out Polynesian
origin for many that have no doubt, had l the
books by me. l might make out long list Once l
knew little Gaelic Celtic of the very few words
that remain t. me, a considerable proportion
identical with the POlynesian. Of German l know
next to nothing yet there too there many Poly
nesian looking roots. / am a toerable Frenchman,
but though in that language there is much that
smacEs OF Poiynesian, yet as 1T is mainly compound
ed of Celtic, Latin and German, and l have no
French dictionary with the supposed dervations, /
cannot put anything French to account
Yet Notwithstanding the scantiness ofmy resources,
my researches warrant me in saying that the Poly
Ne sian has been the prototype of of the Aso-
European tongues, and that therefore, to say the
least, it is not impossible it may have been that of
all, for their is appearance of consangunity in
them all that seems to mark their having had a COM
mon parent.
That you may see have good grounds for so af-
rming, subjcn list of words expressing ideas the
most frequently recurring in all languages, and
which, while they are likely to be most permanent,
afford also the proof of identity of speech The
name of particular thng-tobacco, for instance
may easily spread with the thing itself over many
distant countries but general names are very diff
ferent.
have therefore made choice of the four following
classes of words, being most general and afford
ing therefore the airest criterion for you arrive at
some judgment on the matter:
l. The sexes-man and woman.
2 The elements-fre, air, earth, and water.
3. Those affections of the mind which seem pri-
marly at least to have regarded material obects-as
to see, to know &c
4. Words relating to speech itself. 1 pot them
down in two coiumns-the Poynesian to the left,
the Indo-Europesn on the right.
As l am not if you are familiar with the
Greek characters, put down the corresponding
letters In English but suppose them to be read with
the broad sound. l the letter for the asperate
(r but would remark that this seems too strong for
it. Its exact force. like other questions of the exact
pronunciation of extinct Languages is matter diff
cult to decide but it to to have been gene
rally much sighter than that indicated by the let
ter h.
take some liberty with words that is. in some
cases assume likeness to exist where perhaps that
likeness may not be very apparent to you. But go
not half far most etymoogists. The Just prin-
cpe seems to be this When We series of words
evidently passing from one language into ther, or
into set of kindred languages, warranted in
assigning similar origin to Others though their ike
ness be not apparent. provided there be no other
source for them known to
Thus when we see that No has passed into gene
raj European speech, we may be allowed to assign