104 



PRINCIPLES OF LINGUISTIC SCIENCE'. 



Germanic Twa. 



Lithuanie J)u. 



Slavonic ■ Dwa. 



Celtic I Dau. 



Latin Duo. 



Greek Duo. 



Persian Dwa. 



Sanscrit I Dwa. 



Arabic | Ithn. 



Turkish i Iki. 



Hungarian | Ket. 



But, to the liistorical student of language, correspondences of grammatical 

 structure arc more unequivocal signs of near relationship than Correspondences 

 of words, being less exposed to imputation of accidental origin. As striking 

 and convincing an example of this kind of evidence, perhaps, as any other is 

 furnislied in the inflection of the verbal tenses, as folloAvs : 



These are specimens, taken from among a host of others which crowd every 

 part of the grammar and vocabulary of the languages in question, and their 

 convincing weight it is impossible to deny. It is certain that at some time in 

 the past, and in some limited region of Asia or Europe, there lived a tribe from 

 whose rude speech have descended all those rich and cultivated tongues now 

 spoken and written by so many great nations of both the eastern and western 

 continents ; but to know just where and when is beyond our power. The claim 

 often set up that the home of the family was in the northeastern part of the 

 Iranian plateau, not far from the mountains of the Ilindu-Koh, rests upon no 

 Bufficient grounds. The traditions of no race reach back far enough to be 

 authoritative upon such a point. Nor is the testimony derivable from language 

 more conclusive. And to define, even with distaiit approach to confidence, the 

 time which the tongues of the family must have occupjed in running their 

 career of development is wholly impracticable. That the time of Indo-Euro- 

 pean unity must have been thousands of years before Christ is very certain. 

 Recent discoveries are proving that man's antiquity is much greater than has 

 hithei'to been usually supposed. Respecting the origin of particular races our 

 knowledge is likely ever to continue exceedingly indefinite. As to the grade 

 of civilization and mode of life, however, of the Indo-European fiimily before 

 its dispersion, their language gives us reliable, though incomplete, information. 

 Words which are found in the speech of all the separated branches must have 

 appertained to tlie mother tongue, and must imply the knowledge or possession, 

 in that primitive period, of what they indicate. By such means we learn that 

 the tribe was not nomadic, and that it addicted itself to agriculture and the 

 raising of cattle. It reared our chief domestic animals. The region it inhabited 

 was varied, and not near the ocean ; its most marked season was winter. 

 Barley, and perhaps Avheat also, was raised for food. Certain metals were 

 worked, perhaps iron among them. Weaving was practiced. 1'he arms of 

 oiTence and defence were those usual among primitive peoples — the bow, sword, 



