76 PROCEEDINGS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. 



compared with the Iroquois kilanquaw (sun, moon). Now the 

 derivation of hilargia is il-argi (light of the dead), not a strange 

 appellation for the earth's silent and lifeless satellite [cp. the Algonkin 

 nipa (moon), nip (T die), nipua (dead)] ; but kllanquaio, being ap[)lied 

 to both sun and moon, can never have meant " light of the dead." 

 The Basque biloac (Lat. pilus), ezun'a (Latin os with a Basque 

 termination), and hharrika, are of Latin or Romance origin, and can- 

 not possibly be related to any American words. Gurcira (thunder) 

 is probably onomatopoeic, as we find in Basque another word ortzanz 

 (cloud-noise). Comparisons based upon these words must therefore 

 fall to the ground. The Aino kunezu (moon) is in no way related to 

 the Basque hilargia, being probably a corruption of kane-noza (night- 

 star). The case for the eastern x\.siatic origin of the American 

 peoples rests too much upon apparent phonetic resemblances, such as 

 those I have just pointed out. Before any law like that of Grimm 

 can be discovered and demonstrated between the American and 

 related linguistic families, a thorough understanding of the relations 

 which exist between the individual members of each branch of the 

 Amei'ican stock is requisite and of paramount importance. 



The President read the following paper by Rev. Dr. 

 McNish, of Cornwall, on " The Language and Literature of 

 Brittany." 



These remarks regarding Brittany occur in the last edition of the 

 Encyclopaedia Britannica : " Brittany, Britanny, dv Britany, in 

 Frencli Bretagne, an ancient province and duchy of France, consists 

 of the great north-western i)eninsula of the countiy, and corres- 

 ponds ver}' nearly to the present departments of Finisterre, Cotes- 

 du-Nord, Morbihan, He et Vilaine, and Lower Loire. It is 

 popularly divided into Upper or Western and Lower or Ea.stern 



Brittany The Celtic language is still generally spoken, 



especially in Lower Brittany, and a considerable body of traditional 

 story and song is current among the people." It is obvious that 

 Britanny is identical with Britain, and that the etymology of the 

 two words must be the same. The Bretons or inhabitants of Biit- 

 anny give to their own country the designation Breiz — a word which 

 corresponds with bra,t. Professor Rhys, of Oxford, in a somewhat 

 elaborate discussion maintains that we are to discover in Brit — the 

 first syllable in Britannia — breth or brath, and that in Irish bratt or 



