4^4 PHILOLOGICAL INQUIRIES. 



for the paired bodily organs on account of right and left, 

 five for the fingers, various for fire and water becaufe of 

 different qualities, a number for the fun and moon as ob- 

 jcdls of admiration, &c. and we (hall ftill have a long lift 

 of totally different and unaccountable words. We can- 

 not derive the change from an alteration, in the organs 

 of fpeech beyond fafts : nor will that apply to lan- 

 guages of congenial pronunciation. To charge it on the 

 levity of mankind and other caufes further than their ufual 

 operation, is to make arguments from mere poffibility. 

 The numerous affinities of copious languages will conceal 

 this original diverfity to thofe who do not compare them 

 with critical accuracy, becaufe they arofe in a great mea- 

 fure from a mixture of different materials : thus the Greek 

 has a dozen words ior feeing, and as many for other things 

 by which it is kindred to many ; but how could all thofe 

 have been formed in one fociety ? The Irifli abounds in 

 fynonymas above any European language, and they are 

 generally members of large famihes that have fpread 

 through Europe and many parts of the world : it is parti- 

 cularly valuable for the prefervation of many radical fub- 

 ftantives. 



A feleftion of fpecimens, and reference to fources of 

 more information is all that my limits permit.* t\ fhort 

 feries of cardinal numbers not exceeding ten being a part 



of 



* The latin numbers are omitted as readily occurring, and fo like the Greek, 

 except, 1, 4, 5. The Teutonic branches refemble the A. S. with few ex- 

 ceptions : the M. G. ^\%Jidvor axidfidur, Cfaihs, 'jftlu?:, jo taihun — Celtic 

 Tariations are: C. fadzar ^, hu'ih 6: Ir. dis 2, loraiJ and iuingirTipziT — 

 The R. and P. vary thus : 1<>. odin i, fem 7 : P. />icc, 5, J^^hrvi^ec 9. — ITie 

 Perf. Turk, and Mai. are taken from tlie travels of Herhert. Prof. TTninb. 

 Mai. differs from him only thus : ampat 4, tiijo 7 : the reft is immaterial. 

 The Del. and Mahak. are in the Swedilli Indian catechifm : the Chip, and 

 .Naud. are given by Carver: the Chinefe is from Duha'df, as the moft au- 

 thentic. The Cantabrian is in Lhuyds Archsol ; but taken from i?»n«v« 

 Fulcan'ws. The Choroeich is by Straleabei^. 



