Modern Philology (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1865. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... everywhere through the language, out of words where they had nestled for centuries. The Croatian and Slowenic dialects have no historical importance. The Slowenic is spoken by the people of Carinthia, Steiermark and Carniola. The oldest monument of the language dates back to the tenth century. ii. The Western Slavic family. This includes four special dialects, which, on account of the historical insignificance of most of those who have spoken them, we can dismiss rapidly. Slavonic Correspondences. Iq the following Slavonic words, who can fail to see 1 he resemblance to familiar classical words, especially Latin: moryo, the sea: voda, water: kosti, a bone: volya, will: gosti, a guest: syny, a son: domy, a house: mator, a mother. 1. The Lechish. 2. The Tschechish or Bohemian. 3. The Sorbenwendish. 4. The Polabish. The Lechish is so called, from the once powerful Lechs; and its domain was formerly much wider than now. The Polish and the Kashubish, a dialect of the Polish, are its present representatives. In this language sibilants abound; and as they are quite varied, the differences between them are often, difficult of discovery except to a native's ear. Besides also being full of lisping and hissing utterances, it contains many nasal sounds; and is distinguished by a double vocalization of the letter l as either a palatal or a guttural, which is peculiar. Poland lost her place among the nations, by the selfish internecine strife of her princes and great men with each other; and though in the days of Knight Errantry her sons exhibited as energetic, manly, martial qualities, as those of any other people; yet, having been once laid prostrate by parricidal hands, she has never under the tyranny of her spiritual conquerors at Rome, or of her civil conquerors at St. P...