212 Biographical Sketch of Dr Prichard 



bough, they might belong to boughs of the same branch. But 

 besides discovering such a connection as would indicate this 

 degree of community of origin, he would discover many words 

 80 far common to both, that they might be compared to the 

 artificial union which the horticulturist may effect between 

 branches towards their extremities after they had forked off 

 below. It is in relation to the connection of languages, as 

 branches proceeding from a common arm of the same tree, 

 that modern philologians have made such gi-eat and important 

 discoveries. Amongst the most remarkable of these disco- 

 veries is that of the affinity demonstrated by Jules Klaproth 

 and some other German Philologists, between the Sanskrit and 

 some other dead and living Asiatic languages and the Gi*eek, 

 Latin, German, and other languages, boughs of the same 

 branch. The Celtic dialects, the remnants of the most ancient 

 and westerly of the European languages, had not been shewn 

 to belong to the same principal branch or arm ; and I believe 

 that it was doubted if such connection existed, until our late 

 President, by means of his extensive acquaintance with nu- 

 merous languages, and by a sagacious as well as perserving 

 investigation of characteristics exhibitedby the mode in which 

 the changes of words and syllables are brouglit about, was 

 enabled to make evident a connection dependent on community 

 of origin, which must have existed at a most remote period, 

 anterior to tradition as well as to history. 



When we consider that there are languages so distinct that 

 they cannot be brought within that very distant affinity which 

 has been proved to exist between the Celtic and the Sanskrit, 

 but which may be assembled together in one common group, 

 like that which comprehends the American languages, amount- 

 ing to some hundreds in number, and spoken from the Nortli 

 Frozen Ocean as far South as Terra del Fuego, by numerous 

 tribes resembling each other in physiognomy more closely than 

 the inhabitants of different districts of Great Britain, some 

 idea may be formed of the interest as well as of the magni- 

 tude of the subjects which engage the attention of an Ethno- 

 logist who, like Dr Pi'ichard, applied himself to the study of 

 the human race as a whole. 



If the accession of words received from a language of the 



