OF CERTAIN ENGLISH WORDS. 155 



to our English word. Pallas says Big is corrupt Russian (ma- 

 larossica.) It is a fact, that in the languages of many rude na- 

 tions, the same word not un frequently signifies both God and 

 large, great, or mighty. This is remarkably the case among 

 the American Indians. In the languages of different tribes, 

 the same word not unfrequcntly means God, and great. Nay, 

 more than this: it is easy to adduce instances of the same word 

 being used in Asia for God, and in America for great. I shall 

 mention a single instance. Certain tribes inhabiting the pe- 

 ninsula of Kamtschatka call God, Kootcha: now, Kutche, 

 and Kitchi, are very prevailing words, among the Americans, 

 for great or powerful. And it is remarkable, that they often 

 use it as an epithet for God : thus, Kitchi-Manitou, &c. the 

 Great-Spirit, in the language of the Chippewas, &c. 



Section 3. 



1. To Chirp, to make a chearful noise. " This, says John- 

 son, seems apparently corrupted from cheer-up." This is cer- 

 tainly a forced derivation. I think he would have been bet- 

 ter pleased with the one I am to often In the language of 

 the Ostiaks, of Narim, Churp is a bird. The Ch is to be 

 sounded like the Chi of the Greeks and the Ch of the Ger- 

 mans. I consider all the Ostiaks as having a Finnic original. 

 Unquestionably, a very great number of English words are 

 Finnic, as are also perhaps a still greater number in the langua- 

 ges of the North-American tribes. 



L l. To Bouse, to drink lavishly ; to tope. But/sen, Dutch. 

 Johnson. This word and the adjective Bousy are to be met 

 with among very old English writers. Spencer speaks of the 

 " Bousing can." The word is evidently of Asiatic original. 

 Perhaps, it may be referred to the Asiatic word Boo, water, from 

 whence I suppose the American words, Bee, Beeh, Beh, wa- 

 ter. But I can furnish you with something much less equi- 

 vocal. According to Mr. Bruce, the Abyssinians make from 

 a species of millet, an intoxicating drink, which they call 

 Botisa. Josaphat Barbaro, a Venetian, tells us, as early as 

 1436, that the Tartars whom he visited, drink a kind of beer 



Y 



