1863.] 273 [Chase. 



d. The phonetic values of the primitive hieroglyphs, are some- 

 times apparently retained through a succession of different forms. 

 The Chinese radical Tu, for example, which denotes " the earth," 

 may be analyzed into two simple radicals, one of which corresponds 

 to an ancient form of T, and the other is De Guignes' supposed 

 representative for U, which resembles one of the Egyptian hiero- 

 glyphs for and U. [PI. I, fig. 13.] This radical is sometimes 

 written in the form of T placed in U, and sometimes like a t con- 

 nected with a V in such a way as to make an Arabic figure 2. [PI. 

 I, fig. 4.] Moreover, the root tu, in Chinese as well as in Sanscrit, 

 embraced the idea of division among its meanings. 



e. Some of the radicals are represented by two or more different 

 forms that are found in two or more different alphabets. Thus the 

 "mouth" radical is sometimes written in the form of Roman y, 

 sometimes of the Grreek A. The word pi, " to assist," is written 

 with two Greek ;r's, accompanied by a Roman P. [PI. I, fig. 5.] 



f. In most alphabets, forms nearly identical are employed to repre- 

 sent different letters, as in English E F; d b; p q; n u; Roman P, 

 Greek P, and Hebrew p. Many of these resemblances are found in 

 Chinese, and a reference to the original hieroglyphs often suggests a 

 plausible explanation of the resemblances. 



g. If the fertility of resemblance between the Chinese and other 

 alphabetic forms, is often confusing and puzzling, it is no more so 

 than the similar fertility in systems that are purely alphabetic. Such 

 instances as the employment of X to represent the sounds of T, Ch, 

 and X in the Phenician, Greek, and Roman alphabets respectively, 

 — of P for the sounds of P, Ts, Q, and R, &c., — are so numerous 

 that there is probably not a single alphabetic form that has not been 

 appropriated at different times to several diffei'ent letters, and there 

 is not a single letter that does not present in its various forms, analo- 

 gies to nearly half the other letters of the alphabet. 



h. These resemblances are sometimes readily accounted for by 

 their phonetic analogies. Thus L and R, B and P, C and G, sound 

 so nearly alike, and are so often confounded, that one would natu- 

 rally expect them to be represented by similar forms. But there are 

 some curious instances of remoter affinity. For example, among the 

 oldest Phenician inscriptions, the outline of something like a stone 

 hatchet, is used to represent both D and R. These two sounds are 

 to this day confounded by some of our Indian tribes. Most of the 

 Dakotahs are unable to sound either L or R, and they invariably 

 substitute D for each of those letters. The Chinese Taou, a knife, 



VOL. IX. — X 



