6 



not traced back farther than the Greek and Latin, we should soon 

 discover that we have not yet arrived at the fountain-head. Even 

 tliese celebrated languages, as to their origin, may be traced to more 

 ancient sources, namely, the Hebrew and theCeltic. The words which 

 the former have, in common with the Irish, are not to be considered 

 as derived from it, nor are those in the Irish derived from them, but 

 all are referable to the Celtic and Hebrew, both of which are 

 deemed by many learned Philologists dialects of the prime- 

 val tongue.* Were this subject carefully investigated, satisfac- 

 tory proofs would be found to confirm what is here advanced, and 

 new discoveries made, by which the progress of society, of customs, 

 arts and sciences would be illustrated. I shall here give a 

 few specimens of derivations in support of what 1 have said on this 

 subject. But it may not be irrelevant previously to point out the 

 mode which should be pursued in deriving words in other languages 

 from the Hebrew and Celtic, which will be found of advantage if 

 attended to by the student. 



In all the languages which make no distinction between radical 

 and servile letters, the following general rules will serve for re- 

 ducing words into their first principles in the Hebrew and Celtic. 

 Let that portion of the word which remains unvaried be considered 

 as the radical tertn, and let the terminational changes be disregarded 

 or lopped ofi; Compound words should be resolved into their 

 component parts, and particles used in the composition of at- 

 tributive words should be excluded. In such as are reducible 



• Shatv, in the Preface to his Dictionary of the Galic language, calls the Irish " the greatest 

 " monument of antiquity perhaps now in the world. The perfection," he adds, '• to which 

 " the Gaiic arrived in Ireland in such remote ages is astonishing." — This learned and unpreju- 

 diced Scotchman, alluding to the MSS. in Trinity College, Dublin, calls them, " Scaled Books," 

 and thus concludes his observations : — " Wliilst I surveyed and examined them, and looked 

 " back to the ancient state of this once blessed and lettered island, they produced emotions easier 

 " conceived than described." — ito. London, 1780. 



