Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1876-01-15

The able local editor Of the Eaierpris
or somebody else writing for that jour
nal. has gone TO a great deal oil unnec-
sssary trouble to prove that "tar Is
the proper termination Of the word
"Gibraltar." Our contemporary has
committed the blundsr OF s~uPposing. or
at least pretending to suppose. that q
News reporter-who was n OF the os-
tensible referees at the spelling match
held by Professor Flint in Virginia on
last Thursday evening the ter
uination "ter rs absolutely correct; q
conclusion which il wholly un~warrantsd
by anything spoken or written by said
party. In proof VI this assertion We
quote FROM our issue OF yesterday:
III our contemporary will a the
trouble Of consulting Webster page
1913, he will see that the decision was
correct. The referees knew that the
termination tar was common. aud
perhaps preferable. but in their ruling
had to abide by the accepted authority.
With all due respect for the Enterprise
reporter. we opins that he. and not the
referees. is at fault"
We reiterate tho above assertion. in
face Of the following crusher from our
able contemporary. which appeared this
morning
"As for the Gold Hill N,es reporter.
who refers us to page i.Gi3 OF Webster's
Dictionary. ws refer him back to the
same page Of the same book. hoping
that lie will wipe the dust CT his specta-
clcs aud take another look at the SPELL
ing Of the word in question"
II the intelligent reader will trouble
himself to refer to the page mentioned.
edition Of 1872. used Mt the match)
he will see that our able (?) friend OF
the Enterprise has taken particular pains
to show his ears.
For the sli:ication OF u eontempo-
rary, ~ well as TO convince him that we,
too. know a few things about the word.
We will state that il Ii n compound me-.
aud in its primary sense and sisniaea-
ton means tho strong and i~mprsgnable
sacred tower where sacrifices are to DO
made.
GIBRA 10 Moorish. Arabic. Hebrew
and Sanscrit. Gsburah Or Gbru, in He
brew. means strength, firuness, valor,
severity, etc. ALTAR G altar or a
high mountain. and is also m Oriental
term, from which IL derived the modern
idea Of n holy place OF worship. Before
temples and churches were
erected, the mountains were the Giorul-
,prs or strong affairs Of God, and among
all nations, from their earliest histories,
is to be found the same common record.
Gibraltar has also a double derivation
and significance. II has, from an intro
version, been made TO derive its name
from la. town which lies at its base,
which originally was derived from the
high rock itself. Seasb,l 81 7'uvd. where
the Moors exactsl tribute from all yes
sells entering aud departing from the
Mediterranean. ScLoJd. tho Moorish
~SchbJOtsth. means a pass, permit, license
or clearance. and Tdrifr, or the town Mt
the foot OF the Mountain Altar. where
tribute is paid; hence. our word Idr,n
il derived from the same place. n
Arabic origin. All pilgrims to the Holy
Mountain, or Altar. or to Mecca, pay or
contribute the %ta'rifa, or the offerings
and contributions that are due to relis-
ious worship or the customs due to the
government.
What We contended for yesterday. and
do now is. that according to Webster
which by the Published statement OF
Professor Flint was the authority by
which the orthoeaphy OF all disputed
words was to be determined at the spell
ing match on Thursday evenins-the
ruling Of tho referees that "ter was
the termination Of the word. was correct.
But while contending for this, we do
not pretend to say, as our astute con-
temporary supposes, that "ter IL &c.
corning to the les. authority the correct
termination.