The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1876-03-16
To THE EDITOR OF THE KENosHA TELEGRAPH:


You ask reason for my statement in lecture
that the Germanic, Celtic and Italic lang BSges
had common origin The evidence lies in the
languages themselves. When different languages
have many words in common, the linguist infers
that this likeness comes not by chance, but that
the languages have had some historic connection.
Aud ben these words possessed in common are
not only many but the fundamental words and
roots Of the languages he infers that this connec
ton has not been superficial but genealogic;-
the languages have not merely borrowed from
each other, but are akin, have sprung from
common par ent stock.
Now not only the languages of which your re-
port speaks, but all the languages Of the Indo-
European family have this resemblance. This
family includes nearly all the present and historic
languag es of Europe, as well as the old Sanskrit
with its modern defendants in India, and the old
Zend with its modern descendants in Persia and
Whereabouts. Many terms of common life. and
very many roots of words are substantially the
same in nearly all these languages. Of course,
owing to slow changes, these resemDlances are
somewhat masked to an Impractical eye. But
the linguist to whom these changes and their
laws are familiar sees how the same words and
roots have passed into the old Vedas and Zenda-
vesta the classic Greek and Latin, and the mod
ern French, Spanish, Welsh, Irish, Russian, Nor
wegian, Icelandic, German and English. Philolo-
gists are all agreed that these languages have
| sprung by gredual, change and growth from q
parent language once spoken in Asia.
| OF course this Indo- European family does not
include all languages, nor even large fraction
| of them, as might perhaps be inferred from your
report of the lecture. 1t was o misunderstanding
when your reporter made n speak of a thine
when Europe and Asia had but seven languages"
The seven branches of the do-European family,
viz: the Indian, Persian, Greek, Italic. Celtic,
Slavic and Germanic, must not be regarded as so
MANY definite languages existing at one time.
This separation of the family Was by slow and
successive diverg ences covering long periods OF
| time Besides this family has never entirely oc-
cunicd Europe and has never occupied but
small part of Asia. It probably found other Ian
gueges in Europe on its arrival, and itneyer com
pletely displaced them. A few small relics from
other families of languages still exist in Europe,
as the Basuc, Finnish and Hungarian. The
languages Of the most of Asia are and have always
been of other and quite distinct families. The
languages Of Africa, Oceanica and America show
still less kinship. II
/ Whether philoogists will ever be able to show
still broader unity among the various families
Of languages, remains TO be seen some ike
i Max Muller, think the unifcation can be carried
much further; but more like Schleicher and Prof..
whitney think it cannot. No proofs of common
origin OF all language have yet been found.
i there was such common origin, this was SO re-
mote that its evidences could hardly be expected
IMany think there was not. Many eVolutlonlsts
suppose with Haeckel that mankind Though hay-
ing a cannon origin) had become considerably
i dispersed before speech was developed
i But my lecture did not attempt to go beyond
that one family of languages we call the lndo-
European. u ~ '1"'Ao
Kenoeha. March 10, 1875