OH" MOUNT CAUCASUS. ^^g 



' In the fame manner, the word Pdtrd a leaf, or Pdttd, 

 as it is pronounced in the fpoken dialed:s, has found 

 its way into Latin, in the words Patera, Patinay Patena^ 

 diud Petafits : this laft being ufed to fignify equally the 

 covering of" the head and oFa houfe, which were origi- 

 nally made of leaves and branches, and to this day, in 

 India, by the poorer fort of people. The Pateras called 

 Pdtrd in Sanfcrit, or cups ufed in facrifices, are often 

 made of a large leaf, folded up, and kept together with 

 four wooden pins ; utenfils made of leaves are ftill ufed 

 by the Hindus at their meals, and the Greek word Peta^ 

 Ion is obvioLifly derived from it. 



The word Parhdfa^ or Parhdfas^ was not unknown in 

 the weft, at fome early period : but as it belonged to 

 the language of the gods, there was another word pre- 

 valent in the vulgar or profane languages, and ufed in 

 its room. This word is Lama or Lar, which is found 

 to this day in the Galic language, and that of the Cymri, 

 as well as in Greek ; in which lalt however it appears to 

 be obfolete : but either in its original form, or through 

 its derivatives, it is fufceptible of the various accepta- 

 tions of the word Pa?-ncifa ; and this accounts for Lar~ 

 najfus being alfo the name of mount Parnajfus. 



Larcos, Larnax fignified a baflvet of twigs, and a chefl: 

 Lariethos any covering of bark. In Greek Laura, Lauran^ 

 lignify, a houfe, an hermitage; alfo an aflemblage of 

 fuch houfes. Lar, in Latin, is a houfe in Galic ; and in 

 the diale(fl of the Cymri, the ground floor. The ori- 

 ginal name feems to have been Larna^ which was pro- 

 nounced in different countries, Lar and Lan, like the 

 Sanfcrit word Parna, of which, by dropping either the 

 r or the «, they make either Para, or Pana, in various 

 dialedls of India. Hence Llan in Galic fignifies a houfe: 

 Llan in the dialects of the Cymriy an inclofure. Thus, 

 were the houfehold gods called indifferently Lares 

 and Penates. 



I i 2 The 



