The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-03-19

pInELE LIE EhEs LL.b. lEhOs pP' ooo'
CHARLES SCRIBNER & Co.
OF the numerous, and more or less valu-
able, works in illustration of the English
language which have appeared within a
few years past none affords more en-
phatic proof that "the study Of words is
the study Of things" than the present ad-
mirable volume. Mr.. Schele De We're
engages in the discussion of his subject
with equal knowledge and enthusiasm. He
evidently possesses genius for philologi-
cal disquisition, but has trained his favorite
rather than to indulgence in the vagaries
of fancy. He has no fondnsss for subtle
theories in regard to the formation of Ian
guage and she origin of words, but adheres
rigidly to the method Of scientific induc-
ton, without pressing the principle OF
etymology and analogy to an unwarranta-
BILE extreme. His book, though showing
| the fruits Of various erudition, is not in
tended exclusively for scholars. 1t may
be read to advantage by all who have any
respect for sense or conscience il the use
| of words, and who believe that business OF
thought is closely connected with propriety
of expression.
The orthography of the English Ian
guage, in its present incoherent and cha
otic state, is justly described by Mr.. De
We're as the most anomalous on the face OF
the earth. No other tongue makes such a
wild and extravagant use of letters in its
written form. To spell English, it has
been truly said, is the most difficult OF
human attainments, and this difficulty is
the most serious impediment to its ever
becoming the language of the earth. The
fault is one of long standing. We have re-
ceived it from our earliest ancestors. The
Anglo-Saxons wrote badly. The Norman
French wrote worse. The influence OF
the Danish occupation on the orthography
Of English was pernicious in the extreme.
The very resemblance of the two Ian
guages led to boundless confusion be-
tween kindred words. The evil was
aggravated by the fact that both Danes and
Anglo -Saxons were accustomed to great
license in their earliest mode of writing.
The vowels were all interchanged with
each other, and in many cases the con-
sonants. Hence the English presents more
remarkable cases Of mis-spelling than any
other language. On the famous tapestry
of Bayeux, six different ways occur OF
spelling the name Of William the Con-
oueror. Shakspeare's name is written
in not less than thirty four ways by various
members of his family. The name of the
illustrious family of Villiers is spelt in
fourteen different ways. Names seem to
have been written down as they were
seized by the ear, like Rawlie for Raleigh.
The Duke of Marlborough could not spell !;
1n
herself. Even the young Pretender wrote
his fathers name "Gems," instead OF
James.
The subject of proper names, always a
fayorite theme of antiquarian research, is
illustrated with variety OF curious lore,
and in the hands of the author proves as
lively and entertaining as it is instructive.
The Saxon names of persons were all sig
nificant of some peculiar quality, and were
doubtless frequently given to children with
the idea that the meaning of the word
might exert some mysterious influence on
the future destiny of the bearer. Thus,
Alfred is all-peace; Egbert, eye-bright {;
Bernard, the great bear; Biddulph, the
slayer of wolves Ed,rard, the guardian Of
truth, like Gertrude, which has the same
meaning; and Bertha, the bright. Our
English names, most of which have arisen
subsequently to the Norman Conquest, are
derived from almost all nations and lam
guages on the face of the earth. The He
brew is largely represented in its ancient
Ben, which means son. 1t has given us
BENJAMIN, Benson, Bendigo, and Benoni.
The corresponding Syriac word Bar is OF
less frequent occurrence, and mostly
modernized, as in Barron, which now
stands for Baruch; and in Bartholomew
and it's descendants. The Old Testament
names often appear in disguise. Thus Abra-
ham is transformed into Braham, and Moses
into Moseley or Moss. Solomon becomes
Salmon or Slomdn; Levi is changed into
Leuis, and Elias into Ellis. A large num-
ber of English names are derived from
saints, but have been so fiercely mutilated
as scarcely to preserve trace OF their
origin. Thus St. Paul has become Sam
pole, Sample, or Semple; st. Denis, Sidney
St. Clara, Sinclair; St. Leger, Setltnger.
French names, not derived from saints,
underwent similar mutilation. The most
copious source Of all is the Anglo Saxon
son, combined with the modern character
istic of the genitive case, the letter s.
Thus we have from Harry, Harrison, Har-
ris, HnrieS, Haukes, and with the aid of
kin, Haukins from Andrew, anderson,
Andre,cS, Henderson from William, VII
hanson, Williams, wilson, Wills, Wiltin,
Wilkinson, Wilkes; and from Adam,
Adamson, adams, Atkins, Atkinson.
The Norman names, taken from the
bearers native land or town, have suffered
remarkable changes. The man from Bre-
tagne becomes Bret, or De Brett, Debrett;
from Lorraine, Loring; from the little
Norman town De Ath, Death and from
Scardeville, Scarield, and in another line
Scaredeui, unless the last name is fancy
of the author, not fact. The same pro-
cess of changing foreign names is going on
in the original French settlements of this
country. Thus the river de la .ffUe has ac-
auired the name of Fever river the place
on the Ottawas formerly called Les Che
meaur, or The Channels, is pronounced
The Sno,ps, and the spelling will soon fol-
low the pronunciation. The settlement
called Les Chats has become The Shd,rS !;
Les Joaq,rins is The S,cdshingS and the
hill near the Bay of Fundy which the Aca-
dians called Chapeau de Dieu Gods hat)
is now Shepody Mountain.
The origin of a considerable class of
common nouns is the subject of an interest
ing 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 desg-
nate articles of manufacture or materials.
Thus we have calico from Calicut, on the
Malabar coast (which the author confounds
with Calcuttaj; damask from Damascus,
nusln from Moussul in Asia Minor and
perbaps qause from GAIA. Cambria comes
Z - 4aurr nf Camhrai. dinner from