276 On Proper Names, 



cerning which it.^oes ,not hegprne^pyoiieJA remair^iQ^hso- 

 lute ignorance *•, 97 jod si ft .Vi3imo^ 9rlJ lo noizedaaoq yi£- 



The ancient inhabitants of this country are generally ad- 

 milted to have been a branch of that very extensive race 

 known by the names of Gael, Gauls, or Celtes ; which, before 

 the Christian era, had overspread a great part of the middle 

 and southern districts of Europe. Several dialects of the 

 language of this ancient people still remain ; in the north of 

 Scotland, the west of Ireland, in Wales, Cornwall, the north- 

 east of France, and, according to some accounts, certain 

 mountainous parts of Spain and Italy. Few Celtic proper 

 names, however, can now be traced in this country, except in 

 the districts where the language is still extant, a melancholy 

 proof how completely the native tribes were extirpated or ex- 

 patriated by their barbarous invaders. A great part of those 

 which still remain are monosyllabic, as Caird, a pedlar or 

 tinker; Cairn, a sepultural hill ; Benn, a promontory ; Glynn, 

 a valley; Linn, a mountain-stream; Gillies, a servant ; Braith- 

 waite, a steep inclosure, &c. Many of the Saxon names, 

 however, have a Celtic termination or adjunct. v b^mnmr- 



With respect to the Roman conquest f? as that all-conquer- 



• The helps to be derived, in this inqviiry, from English literature, are few and 

 scanty. Camden, as before remarked, has treated more expressly on the subject 

 than any other author. The voluminous writings of Sir Edward Coke contain 

 many valuable but detached notices respecting names, a matter which seems to 

 have occupied much of his attention. From the old glossaries and books of he- 

 raldry something is to be learned; and, lastly, the posthumous work of that 

 eminent linguist, the late Dr. Murray, of Edinburgh, on the history of the Euro- 

 pean languages, though, in my opinion, abounding in fanciful and strained 

 theories, is, perhaps, the most important help to the etymological student which 

 has appeared since the " Epea Pteroenta." In fact, Murray is very superior to 

 Home Tooke as a linguist, though greatly inferior to him as an acute and philoso- 

 phical philologist. Indeed, it was the great fault of Tooke, that by constantly 

 aiming at being philosophical, he often becomes too refined and subtleized. He 

 had always his thoughts on metaphysics and politics, in hopes of seizing on 

 some passing auxiliary to his prevalent opinions. Murray, though far below him 

 in genius and vigour, had great advantages over Tooke in his intimate acquaint- 

 ance with the oriental languages, without which no etymological researches can 

 be successfully pursued. Camden is a most fair and candid inquirer, and, on the 

 whole, a very accomplished scholar, but appears to have had a very superficial 

 acquaintance with the Celtic dialects, a deficiency which, as I have found by ex- 

 perience, is a perpetual hinderance to the British etymologist, and especially to 

 the investigator of names. If Dr. Murray had happened to have turned Ms 

 attention particularly to this branch of his subject, he would have accomplished aH 

 that is practicable. 



t Camden is decidedly of opinion that sirnames, used as family names, and 

 perpetuated through a course of generations, were unknown amongst the ancients, 



