CONJECTURES 



ON THE 



ORIGIN OF THE ORIENTAL PRACTICE 



OF 



WRITING FROM RIGHT TO LEFT, 



DEDUCED FROM A CONSIDERATION OP THE NAMES AND FORMS OF THE 



HEBREW CHARACTERS. 



By WILLIAM S. SANKEY, A. M. M. R. L A. 



AND EXTRAORDINARY MEMBER OF THE ROYAX. JUEDICAL SOCIEXy, 



EDINBURGH. 



Read April 26, 1819. 



Though, at first view, it may appear perfectly indifferent, 

 whether, in written language, the order of the characters, in each 

 word, and of the words themselves, should proceed from left to 

 right, as is usual among the Europeans, or from right to left, as 

 generally adopted by the Orientals ;* yet, to the mind of one, who 



* The Coptic and Armenian languages are written from left to right, according to the 



