HISTORY OF THE DRUIDS 55 



Gaul and Britain at a very early period. Accor- 

 dingly they have traced their origin, as well as that 

 of the Celts, to the Gomerians, or descendants of 

 Gomer, the eldest son of Japhet. It is supposed 



languages are of Celtic original, and that in order to find 

 the true etymology of many words, both the gaelic and 

 Celtic roots must be consulted, and their combinations 

 analized. The honour of being the parent of such an il- 

 lustrious progeny, many of the admirers of the highly re- 

 fined languages of Greece and Home will not perhaps be 

 disposed to bestow on a language, barbarous it may be 

 said, because it lives probably in its native purity among 

 the inaccessible wilds of Caledonia, and the unmixed 

 descendants of the ancient Irish* It becomes riot the 

 learned however to cherish prejudices. A well informed 

 mind will be inclined to examine every proposition with 

 candour and liberality. 



The Theos of of the Greeks, and the Deusof the Lat- 

 ins, both signifying God, arc compounded of two gaelic 

 words, Ti a being, and Tos or Tus, equally common to 

 denote first or beginning. In the compound these two 

 words are pionounced Tios or Tius, the first letter of the 

 second word being always thrown out : the letter T, in 

 the word Ti has a middle sound or softpronounciation, 

 between the Theta of the Greeks and the T of the English, 

 and is formed by the application of the tongue to the 

 teeth and roof of the mouth. Theos signifies literally 

 the first being ; in like manner the Venus of the Latins 

 is a compound of BEN and Tus, which literally signifies 

 the first woman, the letter B in compounds and inflex- 

 ions is always softened into V, so that in gaelic the first 

 woman is properly denominated Bhenus, pronounced as 

 if wrirten Venus. Edar and Eidar signify food these 

 words are compounded of the gaelic words Ed or Kid, and 

 Ar, the former signifies food simply, and the latter plough- 

 ed land ; the word Edar iu strict propriety of speech 

 signifies that species of food which is produced from the 

 culture of the ground or ploughed land. These are a few 

 of the many words which appear to be derived from the 

 gaelic language, that language which was spoken by the 

 original inhabitants of Britain, and which proves that 

 they inhabited this country at a very eaily date. 



