338 Dr Prichai'd's Anniversary Address 



into Palseography. This term, which is fortunately well un- 

 derstood, includes all that relates to ancient inscriptions, the 

 records of the early history of mankind, written during the 

 first ages of the world on rocks and monuments of various 

 kinds, which the present generation is now everywhere learn- 

 ing to read. There are at least two other parallel roads of 

 archfeological research, which lead us into the same remote 

 regions of human histoi'y, but which are not yet designated 

 by convenient and definite terms. They might be entitled, 

 according to strict etymological rules, Palselexia and Palse- 

 taphia. Palselexia means the archeeology of languages. It is 

 what German writers call " Sprachenkunde." A learned mem- 

 ber of this society, who has contributed greatly to its exten- 

 sion, has proposed to term it " Ethnographical Philology." 

 To this I have only to object, that the study in question is 

 not ethnographical, but ethnological. If any one dislikes the 

 new name which I have proposed, I shall be satisfied with 

 the expression, Archaeology of Languages. 



The most able, and altogether the most remarkable, at- 

 tempt to carry forward the explorations made on this path 

 into new regions, that we have witnessed of late years, is the 

 discourse delivered at the Ethnological Section of the British 

 Association, during the last meeting of that learned body at 

 Oxford. I term it the most able attempt, without fear of 

 contradiction from anybody who heard it or will read it. 

 How far it is successful, I am not competent, and shall not 

 venture, to determine. The title of this memoir has a parti- 

 cular reference to the language of the ancient Egyptians, 

 but its purport is in reality much more extensive. It takes 

 a comprehensive survey of the history of languages in gene- 

 ral, and of the great divisions of mankind which are founded 

 on their classification. In depth of research and extent of 

 philological investigation, this memoir can only be compared 

 with the celebrated dissertation prefixed by Baron William 

 Von Humboldt to his treatise on the " Kawi Sprache." But 

 the Chevalier Bunsen has gone further than his countryman 

 and predecessor into questions relating to the historical de- 

 velopement of nations and languages. For this he had the 

 advantage of later and more extended reseai'ch, in several 



