Page images
PDF
EPUB

ITALY.

Catalogo delle Lingue conoscente, &c. A Catalogue of known Languages; with an Account of their Difference and Resemblance: a Work of the Abbate Don Lorenzo Hervas. 4to. Cesena. 1784! -Eighteen years have elapsed since the publication of the present and some similar works by this laborious author; and no journal has yet announced them. We remember, in an English periodical collection, some information of a philological attempt, equally singular, and perhaps more incredible. The pressure of the moment prevents us from inquiring, whether the name is the same; though we suspect it not to be so. Some error may have occasioned the discordance, or there inay have been two such monsters of erudition.' We are confident, however, that that author was said not to have concluded his remarks; and that he died without completing them. The reason of their being hitherto unknown seems to be this: the author printed them in Italy, and the whole impression was sent to Spain, whence few copies have been brought; and our first information concerning them was from M. Fischer's Letters on Spain--a work of which we hope to give some account in our next Appendix. What renders our author's work interesting is, that he has compared more than 300 vocabularies or manuscript grammars of languages, collected during his resi dence in India or America, or communicated by his brethren in India and in Spain. His philological works are five in mumber, and form from the seventeenth to the twenty-first volume of his complete collection. Of this, which is the principal, we shall give a short view of the contents. The others we may notice at a future opportunity.

The first chapter contains a historic and comparative account of the languages of America; viz. those of Terra del Fuego; Patagonia; Chili; Paraguay; Brasil; of the Terra Firma; of the Oronoque; Casanara; Meta, and the Antilles; of Peru; of Quito, so far as Panama; of New Spain; California; North America, and Florida. The number of these languages and dialects exceeds 200.

The second chapter contains the languages of the South Sea, from America to the Philippines, including the Malay language; with twenty-nine dialects, and five languages of Min

danao.

In the third chapter, the author examines the languages of Asia-1. Of China, so far as the Ganges; and we find fifteen dialects of the Chinese. 2. Of the mouth of the Ganges to the Persian Gulf. 3. Of Arabia, Syria, Palestine, Armenia, Natolia, and the other provinces of the Turkish empire. 4. Of Chinese Tartary, Russia, and Japan.-Under the article of

Georgia we find a singular analogy between its language and that of Biscay. On this subject the author enlarges, and adduces some proofs of Georgia having been peopled by Spaniards he should have said by a Celtic colony.

The fourth chapter treats of European languages; viz. the Illyric; Scythian; Turkish; Grecian; Teutonic; Celtic; Latin, Cantabrian, Opican, Sabine, Sabellan, Volscan, and Etruscan ancient languages of Italy. On the subject of the Latin, the author speaks, as derivatives, of French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, with, the languages of Moldavia and Walachia; adding particular remarks on each. The derivative dialects of the Celtic are, the Gallo-Antico-Breton, the old Breton; the Galato-Antico-Armorican, the Gaelic, the English, Irish, and Persian.

The fifth chapter contains the languages of Africa; viz. those of Egypt, among which we find twenty-four dialects of the Galas; those of Žanguebar, and the Hottentots-among the latter we reckon the Mandingo, with thirty-two dialects; with twenty-eight dialects of the Gialofa used in Guinea.

At the end the author gives a view of all the mother languages that are known; of which he reckons for America fifty; for Asia seven-viz. the Chinese, the Malay, the Indian, the Hebrew, the Armenian, the Mantchou, and the Mogul; for Europe seven-viz. the Illyrian, the Scythian, the TartaroMongul, the Greek, the Teutonic, the Celtic, and the Cantabrian; for Africa eight-viz. the Coptic, the Galvis, the Hottentot, the Congo, the Mandingo, the Gialofa, the Foulah, and the Akanic.

WE greatly regret that accidental circumstances have pre vented us from offering any review of MAPS and CHARTS in the present Appendix. This department will, however, be still continued; and the circumstances which have occasioned the omission, will, we trust, have the effect of rendering it more copious and important at the conclusion of our next volume.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

Astronomy, Treatise on,

343
349

Britain (Great), Survey of the strength
180
Brown's view of agriculture of W.
271
Riding of Yorkshire,
Buffon's natural history, New edition of,

558

Atcheson on the carrying part of the Buildings in England and Scotland,

[blocks in formation]

Plans and views of,

323

Atlantis, Letters on the,

78

Buil-baiting, a sermon,

218

[blocks in formation]

Burdett (sir Francis)'s speech on motion
for inquiry into conduct of administra-
tion,
458
Butcher's Facts respecting high prices of
359
provisions,
Only security for peace, 4t7

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]
[blocks in formation]

GARNETT'S thanksgiving sermon, Institute (French national), Memoirs of
465 the,

481

Gates, Inquiry concerning the hanging Invasions of British islands, Historical
and fastening of,

259 sketch of,

340

Geographical companion to Mrs. Trim Ireland, History of the rebellion in, 276
Sketches of some of the southern

mer's histories,

questions,

472-

[blocks in formation]

George III, Sketch of the principal fea-
tures of the character of,
Germany, Literature of,

Gleig's supplement to the Encyclopædia
Britannica,

451

591

474

343

160, 382 Jacque's translation of Bailly on the
Atlantis of Plato,

Globes, Introduction to the use of the,

78

228 Jameson's mineralogy of Scottish isles,

Gonorrhoea virulenta, Observations on,

405

345 Jefferys's pleasures of retirement, 231
Gordon's history of the Irish Rebellion, Jewish poor, Letters on present state of,

Gospel testimony,

276

104 John the baptist, a poem,

Grace (Work cf) in the life of W. Jones (Rev. Win.)'s works,

Coombs,

Grammar, Latin,

Granada, Civil wars of,

Gray (Susan), History of,
Gregory's astronomy,
Grose's sermons,

105 Journals, Spirit of the public,

473

358

353

399

360

473

348
469

82 KAMOULA, Adventures of,
472 Kelly's elements of book-keeping,
349 Kentish's Cases of cancer,
101 Kerslake versus life-insurance office,
Second trial in the cause of,
345
Kipling on the XXXIX articles, 456
Klaproth's essays for promoting che-
mical knowledge of mineral sub-
stances,

Gross's duties of an officer in the field,

120
225

Guildford, History of,

Guisy's new method of learning French,
227

Gunning (Miss)'s Family stories,
Heir apparent,

473

477

LACRYMÆ Hibernica,
Lamentation, a poem,

201

236

229

[blocks in formation]

Home's history of the rebellion in 1745, Le Kain, Memoirs of,

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]
« PreviousContinue »