1864. | The Science of Language. 723 
easier than the German nacht. The following are specimens of this 
kind of change :— 
A.S. hafoe becomes hawk. A.S, nawiht becomes nought. 
» deg mL edayn », hlaford syn OROR 
», feger em fair », hlcefdige oy Lady. 
» secgan 1) “aly. 5, soelig 5 vi Sllly, 
»» Sprecan 3 speak. », buton sf but; 
» folgian » follow. » heafod » head. 
», morgen » morrow. 5, nose-thyrel » nostril. 
» cyning ee) aking: 5 Wif-man » woman. 
» weorold ,, world. | ,, Hofer-wic spit 4 OTK 
Again, 
Lat, scutarius. Fr. escuier. Eng. squire. 
», historia. », histoire. », Story. 
,, Aigyptianus. » Hgyptian. 5 IDSy. 
»  extraneus. » estrangier. 5, Stranger. 
5, lydropsis. »  dropsy. 
5, capitulum. 5, chapitre. », chapter. 
» dominicella. » demoiselle. » damsel. 
»» paralysis. 5» paralysie. »» palsy. 
5, sacristanus. », Sacristain. » sexton. 
From laziness a letter may even be added; thus it is easier to 
pronounce— 
Eng. thunder than A.S. thunor, 
Greek ayvdpes be GVELES. 
PS du.Beoota a aupoola. 
5  wETNUBoIa ,, peon(€) ola. 
Eng. gender » fr. genre. 
ss slumber » A.S. slumeriar. 
» embers ie » ‘wemyr ie. 
» cinders » Lat. cineres. 
» humble a » humilis. 
We now come to the great principle of change called Grimm's law. 
The author introduces this merely for the sake of explaining what he 
considers to have been the origin of this diversity. He gives the law, 
indeed, in all minuteness, and explains the change of every letter, 
giving an example or two; but we think it a pity that in the present 
state of ignorance on these matters amongst the majority of students, 
there should be no work in the English language to which we could 
turn for so many examples as would satisfy the seeker after the most 
perfect induction.- We do not say this simply to pick holes, for we 
are thankful enough for what the author has given, a great deal of 
which is much newer, and to deep students much more valuable, 
than the explanation of a known law ; but day after day we find men 
who profess to be philologists, who have read many works on these 
subjects, publishing derivations implying most reckless violation of 
this fundamental change. 
And here we must take leave of this interesting and learned work. 
