524 
modification of it. The final w is preserved in the classical 
languages alone. The Perso-Sanskrit forms are of far later 
date than those of the European languages, and appear to be 
derived from the Sclavonic; a final nasal being added, appa- 
rently in imitation of the Ugrian n. 
‘‘ The Semitic forms are likewise derived from hwaku; their 
common parent being hwan-hwaku, properly adsum,as I showed 
in my. former paper. The double addition in the so-called 
Semitic languages of a prefix and a suffix, of which the mean- 
ings are almost identical, is very remarkable. It is clear 
that the suffix was first added; and that, when the prefix was 
added, the two syllables which followed it were considered as 
one word, the meaning of the suffix being no longer recol- 
lected. This can only be accounted for either by supposing 
an extremely long interval between the addition of the suffix 
and that of the equivalent prefix, or by supposing a miracu- 
lous confusion to have taken place in the views of the people 
with respect to language in the interval between these two 
additions having been made. I have observed facts indica- 
tive of such an occurrence, which are easily explained by the 
admission of its having existed, and scarcely, if at all, to be 
accounted for on any other supposition,—but I must forbear 
stating them at present. The study of these bilingual tab- 
lets cannot fail to throw great light on the early history of 
languages; but it would be rash to draw inductions from 
what has yet become known to me. As to the pronoun of 
the first person singular, I am satisfied that I am well in- 
formed as to the facts, but not so as to the other pronouns. 
Here, therefore, I must close what I have to say. 
‘¢ Kpwarp Hincks. 
‘¢ Killyleagh, June 18, 1857.” 
Sir William R. Hamilton read a paper on a certain harmo- 
nic property of the envelope of the chord connecting two 
corresponding points of the Hessian of a cubic cone. 
