Outlines of Comparative Philology: With a Sketch of the Languages of Europe, Arranged Upon Philologic Principles, and a Brief History of the Art of Writing |
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accent alphabet already ancient Anglo-Saxon antiquity appear Asia authors Basque branch called Celtic Celts century CHAPTER character Chaucer Chinese common Comparative Philology connection conquered Conquest considered consonants contains declension dialects elements England English English language euphony Europe existence express Finnish foreign French furnished genius German grammar Greek guage idea idioms important Indo-European languages inflecting languages inflection influence instance Italian knowledge known labors large number Latin laws learned less letters literature Magyar means mind mode modern mother tongue mysterious national tongue nature noble Norman nouns once original Oscan peculiar philosophers poet preserved principles Provençal purposes race represent researches resemblance Roman Romance languages Sanscrit Saxon scholars Shemitic signs Slavic so-called sound Spanish speak speech spirit spoken success syllable Tataric Tataric languages thought tion trace translation Ulfilas verb vernacular vowels whilst words writing written
Popular passages
Page 139 - ... and known, and better understood, in the tongue used in the said realm, and by so much every man of the said realm may the better govern himself without offending of the law, and the better keep, save, and defend his heritage and possessions; and in divers regions and countries, where the king, the nobles, and...
Page 169 - Scotch poets of this period, who have adorned the English language, by a strain of versification, expression, and poetical imagery, far superior to their age ; and who consequently deserve to be mentioned in a general review of the progress of our national poetry.
Page 186 - English, that they forget altogether their mother's language. And I dare swear this, if some of their mothers were alive, they were not able to tell what they say : and yet these fine English clerks will say, they speak in their mother tongue, if a man should charge them for counterfeiting the King's English.
Page 185 - Some seek so far for outlandish English, that they forget altogether their mother's language. And I dare swear this, if some of their mothers were alive, they were not able to tell what they say...
Page 118 - To defend his conquest,1 he took possession of the country; and, master of the soil, he erected fortresses and castles, and attempted to introduce new terms. The universe and the 'firmament, the planets, comets, and meteors, the atmosphere and the seasons, all were impressed with the seal of the conqueror. Hills became mountains, and dales valleys ; streams were called rivers, and brooks rivulets ; waterfalls changed into cascades, and woods into forests.
Page 172 - In English, and in writing of our tongue, " So pray I to God that none mis-write thee, " Ne thee mis-metre for default of tongue : " And, read whereso thou be, or elles sung, " That thou be understond, God I beseech !
Page 350 - ... appears that the poet, during the time of his inspiration, is rather above his subject; but like the Russian tale of Igor's Expedition, the epic beauties are merged in the lyric effusions of the poet's own feelings, who thus never attempts to conceal that his whole soul is engaged in his subject. The oldest monuments of the Christian age are the names of the days, which are of pure Slavic origin. Of the Lord's Prayer in Bohemian, on comparing the oldest copy he could find among the ancient manuscripts,...
Page 121 - ... indigenous tree, trimmed by the rough storm, grafted in many a branch by an unskilful hand, but still giving shade with its wide-spreading foliage, and bearing flowers and fruit in abundance. The Normans had conquered the land and the race, but they struggled in vain against the language that conquered them in its turn, and, by its spirit, converted them into Englishmen. In vain did they haughtily refuse to learn a word of that despised tongue, and asked, in the words of the minister of Henry...
Page 171 - Full many a daintie horse had he in stable : And when he rode, men might his bridle hear Gingeling in a whistling wind as clear, And eke as loud, as doth the chapell bell, There as this Lord was keeper of the cell.
Page 121 - Thus the two languages, now contending and then mingling with each other, continued for nearly four hundred years side by side in the British kingdom ; the Norman-French, an exotic plant, deprived of its native soil and heat, flourishing for a time, but gradually withering and fading away; the language of the subject, like an indigenous tree, trimmed by the rough storm, grafted in many a branch by an unskilful hand, but still giving shade with its wide-spreading...