234 MAJOR C. R. CONDER, R.K., D.C.L., LL.D., M.B.AS., 
weave,” and compares with a Semitic root sawa, “to join,” 
or “make equal.” The root WABH, “to weave,” appears also 
to be common to Egyptian, Aryan, and Semitic speech, and 
an early clothing of something more than the skins of 
beasts thus seems indicated in the primitive period. That 
fire was known is certain, and that it was used in cooking 
food appears also to be indicated by the root BAK, occurring 
in all the various groups with the meaning of “ cooking” 
food. As the root TOK seems possibly to be an original one 
with the meaning of “ daubing,” or “moulding,” it is 
possible that language indicates at this early period the use 
of some kind of pottery. Even in the European prehistoric 
cemeteries rude pottery is found, and the earliest vessels 
before the discovery of metals must have been of clay. 
The question of the dwellings in which these primitive 
Asiatics lived, is one of very considerable interest, and there 
is perhaps some reason to suppose that in addition to caves 
and tents such as are still used by Oriental peasants and 
nomads, there may also have been huts in the primitive 
period. 
In Egyptian we have the words ab and bu for a house, 
which appear to answer to the Mongolic oba, softened in 
some dialects to ova and ev. ‘The meaning appears to be “a 
dwelling.” In Sanskrit hw means “to build,” or “ dwell,” 
whence Bhavana, “a building” or * habitation.” In Akkadian 
we find vA, and in the Cognate Susian dialect uA for 
“abode,” and in Hebrew we have Bua ($43), “to enter into a 
house,” whence it is conceivable that the word Beth, 
“house,” might originate. A second root connected with 
dwelling is found in the Assyrian uru or alu tor a “town,” 
which appears to be the same as the Akkadian vuru. It has 
been compared with the Hebrew words er for “city” (Ay), 
and ohel, “tent” (bry); and with the Tartar aul, for a 
“camp,” the R and L being indistinguishable. This again 
is found in the Hungarian varos, “town,” and in the Aryan 
var, “ enclosure,” and perbaps the Sanskrit alaya, “tent,” the 
root in each case meaning some walled or enclosed dwelling. 
The third ancient word also having the meaning of an 
enclosed place is the Egyptian atra, a * house,” which recalls 
the Latin atrium. In Semitic speech we have Eder, for “a 
fold,” and ’atar, “to surround.” That such buildings or 
enclosures were roofed we might perhaps deduce from the 
