490 PHILOLOGICAL INQUIRIES. 



The cognation of the flrft numeral names with thole of 

 the fingers is in feveral cafes difcoverable ; and came from 

 the primitive mode of counting ; which is alio preicrved 

 in feveral phrafes that remain both in ancient writings, and 

 in modern languages : — -nix-ri-c^o, is to reckon on the fingers, 

 to count, to conl'ider — per digkos cornpidnre is the Latin 

 — Herodotus has in his Thalia en ^aK-rCkiv, «///8aAMtT«,. — Per- 

 fect knowledge of a thing is exprefled in having it at 

 the fingers end — Fr. fcavoir fur le bout du doit : P. na 

 palcach wiedziek ; and ftupid perfons muft fometimes hear, 

 if you camtot count by the fingers^ get help from the toes.* 



Moft nations have the ten cardinal numbers different, 

 and then advance by adding the firft: and the reft in fuc- 

 cefTion till 20, as L. undeclm, 1 1 ; but fome have begun 

 the compounding from five, or fix, &c. as appears from 

 fome of the given fpccimens. This proves that mankind 

 endeavoured to form fignificant words in the early ftate of 

 language, and its progrefs bears evident marks of the fame 

 method. Anaylfing languages on a large and extenfive 

 fcale we perceive that the ifolated words bear no propor- 

 tion to the kindred, and alfo that the greater part of 

 thefe are derived ; we can trace many families from to- 

 tally different roots, fee the manner of their early growth, 

 and how they gradually entwined with numerous impor- 

 tant objedls of human life. I fhall therefore prefent fome 

 ancient and interefting words in their family connexions : 

 — Light has thefe relatives : fire, fun, moon, ftars ; day, 

 the dawn, and evening-glow ; the fky, lightning, and 

 lucid meteors ; eyes, and the human face, feeing ; vifible, 

 clear, bright ; principal light colours j beauty of com- 

 ple£tion, efpecially fair and ruddy ; mental qualities : in- 

 tellectual, as, contemplating, thinking, believing, guefling, 



and 



* See Lhuyds remarks on the Cantabrlan numbers. 



Some modem tribes have made little progrefs in arithmetic in comparifon 

 with other arts, as fifhing, hunting, &c. Few among the Kamtchadeles 

 tan count to i oo ; the greater part reckon firft on the fingers, then on the 

 toes : and exclaim whither now ! 



