The Washington herald., 1908-01-19

Abbot Janssens, rector Of the Interna-
| tiOnal Benedictine College OF SAINT An
| selmo. Abbot Amelli. prior OF Monte cas-
sino and Dom Breuile, of Belgium. Oth-
/ er Benedictines viii be chosen from dif-
! ferent natiOnalities, and before Ions the
work viii be in full swing
/ The commission VIII avail themselves
/ Cf the services and studies of other
/ scholars, both within and without their
own order: and even, on occasion, OF
| non-Catholics.
/ II IS not likely that many now living
Will be alive TO see the end OF TINS
gigantic undertaking. Even one part OF
I the Scripture, treated as outlined above.
may absorb the laborS of half genera
I ton
/ Some miscreants lately, meeting Abbot
/ Casquet. who is IN charge Of this Work
Of revision. IN the streets Of Rome, spat
/ in his face.
A fine specimen OF Catholic scholarship
has just appeared in the first volume OF
"A work entitled Arabia Petraea: Moab.
Topographischer Reisebericht" 1t is ac-
companied by a map Of Arabia Petraea.
The work is published under the auspices
Of the Vienna Academy Of Sciences, by
Prof. Alois Aiusii. who holds the Old
Testament chair in the University Of
Olmutz.
The author went 90 Jerusalem, in 1895,
to engage in Biblical studies in the
Ecole Pratlque d'Etudes Blbliques OF the
French Dominicans. He spent three years
in the Holy Land. paying special atten-
ton 10 the classical Arabia Petraea. es-
peciaily the Old Testament Moab and
Ed0m.
Then, beginning IN 1898, he devoted sew
eral years TO cartographical Investigations
IN Nienna, London, Cambridge, Berlin,
and CO1stantinOple. Three further expedi-
tons filed out the years 1gO0-1902; and
since that time he has been engaged In
arranging his vast material for publica-
ton
His present work has been preceded by
two quaTto volumes entitled, 'Kusejr
Amra" describing a small palace, dating
from the first half Of the eighth century.
This structure, discovered by Musi. is
Ornamented with rich Greek paintings,
here reproduced in the original cOlors.
The present first volume Of the new
series contains about one-half OF the au-
thOr's Typographical report OF his jour
neyi being substantially the text and
the Illustrations for the northern half Of
the accompanying chart The details OF
his research are set down with great ex-
aCtness. and this material Is supplemented
with a wealth Of data on the traditions
customs. and civilization Of these regions.
These chapters are the more valuable
because the author is a master Of the na-
tive tongue. and enjoyed the friendship
Of Of a. arsrfra rrffs
the Beri Sahr.
This first volume is TO be followed by
others on ethnography and geography,
dealing with the life and character OF no
fewer than forty-eight tribes.
The Franciscan Father. Rev. Chrysos-
tom Verwyst, Of Bayfield, Wis, declares
that the Chippewa Is one Of the ancient
languages which has survived 10 the
present day. and that 1t . fully as sys-
temauc as our so-calIed classic language.
both ancient and modern. It Is rich in
words. especially compound words; a Ian
guage of verbs. and the embodiment Of
life, movement expression.
The late Jesuit Father Martin Ferrard
collected IN three large manuscript
volumes about $4,000 Chippewa words. To
prevent harsh. unpleasant sounds. they
often insert a vowel or consonant between
two words.
Nouns. adjectives. numerals. adverbs.
propositions are drawn into the magic
circle Of the verb, and are made 10 ex-
press every possible phase OF human
thought action, or form OF existence.
Tht nouns, adjeCtiFes. DC, are susceptible
of all kinds Of transformations.
There is q positive or assertive form OF
the verb, and a dubious or conditional
form. each with an affirmative and mega
tive way Of expression. Here We have d
peculisFity not 70 be found in any other
language. In fact, we haYe, so 70 speak,
a dual language.
A Chippewa can talk with you without
positively asserting or denying anything
by using the dubitative forms Of the verb.
There are nine conjugations. Each has
a positive and dubitative form. Each OF
these eighteen Conjugati0ns has an affirm
atiye and negative form. thus making in
all tGirty-siX cOniugatIOns.
But the vast number OF examinations 20
be learned by the Chippewa scholar is
made comparatively easy on account of
the admirable systematic grouping and
similarity of examinations
Father NeTwyst concludes:
Il am OF the opinion that a close study
II the AiEic family OF languages Ito
which the Chippewa belongs) would prove
that they are Of Asiatic origin, IN all
probability Indo-Germanic. Moreover. I
think that this language originated with
a highly civilized race. for its systematic
structure. beauty, euphony, and express
siveness imply great mental achievement.
'Demosthenes and Cicero might justly
be proud Of the Chippewa language. II is
not inferior 10 either the Greek or Latin
language in regularity and copiousness.
1T is, however. q concrete language.
not q language Of abstract ideas