68 



8. Metathesis. — PRUsa, BYiisa; BROinwych-hara, Bmm- 

 inghara, BRummagem ; CoRtona, CRotoii ; ARDnamurcbaii, 

 Point, AuDRamorgan P. ; TabRAca, TabARca. 



The whole of the preceding remarks have tended to show 

 the influence which is exercised by common nouns and adjec- 

 tives in the formation of proper names. Another subject of 

 extreme interest, and hitherto hardly noticed, is the reciprocal 

 influence which geographical terms exercise, in transforming 

 proper nouns into common nouns and adjectives. Few are 

 aware that this is really a fact, and fewer still could furnish a 

 single example of a word in which the geographical allusion 

 has been completely lost sight of. Yet hundreds of the 

 articles in common use, were named from places with which 

 all educated people are familiar; but from the carelessness of 

 speakers, and the changes to which language is liable at all 

 times, many of the words have become considerably altered. 



1. Nothing is more reasonable than that a new production, 

 natural or artificial, should be called by the name of the place 

 from which it comes. Accordingly this is ^^ first step in the 

 transformation ; the adjective is seen to be a local one, not 

 one indicating quality, — and is invariably spelled with a 

 capital. Por example, Alloa ale, Berlin wool, Brussels lace, 

 Carlingford oysters, Everton toffy. Limerick gloves, Seville 

 oranges, Witney blaiikets. 



2. In the course of years, the adjective is sometimes quoted 

 instead of the noun ; we speak of a toledo instead of a Toledo 

 blade, or o^ parramatta instead of Parramatta stuff. The indi- 

 viduals who use these terms are of two classes, — those who 

 recognise the geographical allusion in the adjective, and those 

 who regard it only as descriptive of the noun. This therefore 

 is the second stage in the change ; the idea of place is obso- 

 lescent. Thus we have Burgundy wine, Havannah cigars, 

 T^yden jars. Macassar oil, Peruvian bark, stilton cheese. 



