New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-02-28

called Les Chemtdhr or ne Cudnnele 10 RiOnouhoou
The Snotcs and the spelling will soon follow the pro-
nunciation The settlement called Les Chats has be-
come The Shaus; Les Joaqtia8 is The StoaSags; and
the hill near the Bay of Fundy which the Acadians
called -Chapeau dc Diea Gods haU is now ShGOdy
Mountain.
The origin of considerable class OF common nouns
is the subject of an interesting chapter in this volume
A fruitful source which the author illustrates at
length is the names OF foreign countries and cities
which have been used to designate articles OF manu-
facture or materials Thus we have calico from
Calcut on the Malabar coast (Which the author COLI
POUNDS with Calcutta); dQmask from Damascus, mus
lin from Moussul in Asia Minor; and perhaps ga"@e
from Gaza Cambria comes from the town Oh Jam
brai; diaper from Ypres, the Belgian CITY, pre-
coded by the proposition d, from notas written ny
the author) dYpres and dTds from the clty Oh 'h"V
name. Cerdova in Spain has given us c0rdrdinerS;
Armenia er1aine; Cyprus, copper; China, the porce-
lain of that name; andeCreta. crdyons though thiS
last derivation the author does not suggest comes 10
lis directly from cJetd chalk, and not from the geo
graphical name. Indigo is called as an Indian dye
from the adjective lndicus, peach from Perscum,
cherry from Cerasus, parchment from Pergamon in
Asia, and pheasant the name of the Phasian bird,
from Phass. We have Damascus and Toledo blades
from the cities of those Names bayORe from Bayonne
the place where that weapon invented, and pistol
from Pistoa. The potent word dollar, is from the
German haler, a term derived from JOachimshdt
VALLEY of Joachim a little mining town where that
silver coin was first made.
variety of words in the English the result OF
apparent accident, having undergone certain con-
fractions without any obvious law system This IS
the case especially with French words used by per-
sons not familiar with the idiom from which they
were borrowed In their new form, they may be
convenient additions to our vocabulary, but have
lost all their original significance and grace. Thus
pierre (stone became pier; reStiare IA robng-room)
restry; ckde Ito heat chGe and chd JeuiUe Ia leaf
foil The French dent de lion lions TOOTH is Angli-
czed into ddadeOn as it has sometimes been spet
into dandy oR thebeautful rose des QRdtro sdiSons
(Of the four seasOns into one of quarter sessions; and
the fragrant tubreuse IA tuberous plant into tabose
A dormouse is the French sowis doImetse tseepiag
mouse a Spmmersei made by politicians IS the rope
dancers soubyCSauH jumping over) and another fire.
quent political situation, QudRddy is from the French
quanddmaiio, according to the author which is I'M
meaning but may come from 90 en- drdije iohat shall
sag Ofu)
Mr.. Schee De We're discusses at some length the
different uses of the verbs shall and rU by which
Scotchman, an Irishman, or an American Southerner
infahiby betrays his origin, as distinguished from
native of England or of New-England, but fails 10
throw any clear Night ON the perplexing mystery.
He gives up the problem in despair, asserting that
there is no absolute rule laid down by any gram
marian that viii apply to all cases
On the contrary, we think that the formula, which
has been more than set forth III columnsl
will hold good without exception namely that whenj
the simple idea of future occurrence is to DO ex'
pressed you must use shall In the first person. and
,cH in the second and third persons, but when the
~ sc mn
be employed in the first person, and shall in tho
second and third-the phraseology in the two cases.
being directly the reverse of each other Thus to say
that certain event cW happen taere futurityl the
form is as follows: shall de- yOR riH die he wH die.
But to say that a certain event dGH happen (com-
pusiOn, necessity, OF DISCRIMINATORY the form is II
WiH die you shall die, he shall die.
The author acknowledges this double future as
great beauty of the English language but regards its
correct use as hardly attainabe by foreigners, there
being no sure guide but that instinct which is given
| TO all whoSeam language with their mothers milk
or who acquire it 50 successfully to master its
| spirit as well its form. His example shows
the correctness OF his remark for although in general
he uses our Language, idomatic propriety and
force he often fails in the true application of the
I:verbs in question which may be due either to his
! foreign birth, or his Southern associations. Thus
| Up. Id I'VE iU0ad grievously, however, if we
to conclude" &c, i'll which stoaM is the
proper word. Again tp. 400, g. If 90 back to the
Oldest forms of English, 'eiH there find" &c,
instead of shall which English writer would think
twice before using. Another doubtful form which
has crept into language from the German, but
without classical authority, lin our midst (p ~ lin
whose midst (p13 appears to be used by the author
without scruple. But these minor blemishes in
work which every competent judge will regard as
valuable acquisition to the student of English phi
loOgy, and not sufficient to impair the friendly well
come which it deserves by its various and sound
learning, its pregnant suggestions and, i'll general
the remarkable ability of its execution.