204 ANNUAL OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. 



ularies from Tibet, Horsok, and Sifan, and by their aid he has completed a 

 comparative analysis of all the languages of this class, reaching nearly over 

 the whole globe, in which he finds a perfect uniformity of the laws regulating 

 the composition of words and then- arrangement, extending over the whole 

 class The paper stated briefly some of the results arrived at, leaving the 

 data for further communication at full length. The following are some of its 

 results: The old dogma which Home Tooke fancied he had discovered, that 

 all the numerous words which we generally call particles, such as prepositions 

 and conjunctions, and the syllables and letters which modify root words in 

 the way of derivation, conjugation, and declension, were originally vital words, 

 having definite meanings, is perfectly true of the Tartar tongues, and the fact 

 is found in them in every stage of development. The distinction between 

 moiiosjrllabic and polysyllabic languages is without foundation, polysyllables 

 being merely iterations and accretions of monosyllables; and the languages 

 do, in fact, graduate into each other. The researches of Mr. Hodgson demon- 

 strate the affinity of the Sifan, Horsok, Tibetan, Indo-Chinese, Himalayan, 

 and Taniulian tongues, by identity of roots, identity of compounds, and, above 

 all, by the absolute uniformity of the laws regulating them. All the Tartar 

 tongues, from America eastward, through the Old "World to Oceania, consti- 

 tute one great family. All the Tamulian languages, and those of the aborigi- 

 nal tribes of India, are of one class, and that class is Tartar. All derive their 

 vocables from the Northern tongues, either directly or via Inclo-China, and the 

 routes or relative lines of passage are plainly traceable. A great many Arian 

 vocables, even in Sanscrit, are Tartar, as well in their composite and ordinary 

 state as in their roots. Mr. Hodgson is finally of opinion that the Tartar 

 tongues, taken all together as a great unity, throw a brilliant light on the 

 state of language in general, as it existed prior to the great triple division 

 into Semitic, Iranian, and Turanian languages. 







