76 PROCEEDINGS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. 



compared with the Iroquois k'danquaw (sun, moon). Now the 

 derivation of hilargia is il-argi (light of the dead), not a strange 

 appellation for the earth's silent and lifeless satellite [cp. the Algonkin 

 nipa (moon), nip (I die), nipua (dead)] ; but kilanquaio, being applied 

 to both sun and moon, can never have meant " light of the dead." 

 The Basque biloac (Lat. pilus), ezurra (Latin os with a Basque 

 termination), and Tcharrika, are of Latin or Romance origin, and can- 

 not possibly be related to any American words. Gurcira (thunder) 

 is probably onomatopoeic, as we find in Basque another word ortzanz 

 (cloud-noise). Comparisons based upon these words must therefore 

 fall to the ground. The Aino kunezu (moon) is in no way related to 

 the Basque hilargia, being probably a corruption of kane-noz'i (night- 

 star). The case for the eastern Asiatic origin of the American 

 peoples rests too much upon apparent phonetic resemblances, such as 

 those I have just pointed out. Before any law like that of Grimm 

 can be discovered and demonstrated between the American and 

 related linguistic families, a thorough understanding of the relations 

 which exist between the individual members of each branch of the 

 American stock is requisite and of paramount importance. 



l"he President read the following paper by Rev. Dr. 

 McNish, of Cornwall, on " The Language and Literature of 

 Brittany." 



These remarks regarding Brittany occur in the last edition of the 

 Encyclopaedia Britannica : " Brittany, Britanny, or Britany, in 

 Prench Bretagne, an ancient province and duchy of France, consists 

 of the great north-western peninsula of the countiy, and coi-res- 

 ponds very neai'ly to the present depai^tments of Finisterre, Cotes- 

 du-Nord, Morbihan, He et Yilaine, and Lower Loire. It is 

 populai'ly divided into Upper or Western and Lower or Eastern 

 Brittany. . . . . The Celtic language is still generally spoken, 

 especially in Lower Brittany, and a considerable body of traditional 

 story and song is current among the people." It is obvious that 

 Britanny is identical with Britain, and that the etymology of the 

 two words must be the same. The Bretons or inhabitants of Brit- 

 anny give to their own country the designation Breiz — a word which 

 cori'esponds with brat. Professor Rhys, of Oxford, in a somewhat 

 elaborate discussion maintains that we are to discover in Brit — the 

 fir.st syllable in Britannia — breth or brath, and that in Irish bratt or 



