THE EASTERN ORIGIN OP THE CELTS. 281 



medial cheth, as in Maclialali, Malla ; it may admit a prosthetic a, 

 and, as in the case of Zimran, insert & p ov b sound between the con- 

 sonants, such as we find in Amphiclea, Amphiale, &c. Heman, 

 commencing with a mere aspirate, may be found preceded by d or t, 

 Deman, Teman. Chalcol or Calcol can hardly be expected to retain 

 its final I, which may be altogether omitted or replaced by r or s. 

 Dara or Darda has two forms to begin with, and the final letter 

 being ayin, will be found to end with c, g^ s, or ng. Our subject is 

 thus encompassed with philological diificulties of no mean order, and 

 for this reason I have supjolemented the geographical comparisons 

 with others derived from mythology and tradition, which I trust 

 may tend to confirm the evidence that geography supplies. 



Palestine afibrds evidence that the children of Hammoleketh were 

 counted as part of the family of Gilead. Abiezer was situated near 

 the land of Gilead, and Jazer, presenting another form of the name, 

 constituted a region of it^ Abel Meholah was in similar proximity, 

 and Barzillai the Meholathite is also called a Gileadite.^* The name 

 Abel Meholah, if like Abel Mizraim it denotes " the mourning of 

 Mahalah," may furnish the clue to a tragical story. It may, how- 

 ever, simply mean "the meadow." As such we may expect it to 

 reappear in other parts of the world in some form like Philomelium. 

 It is worthy of note that the family is not only represented as one 

 of pre-eminent sages but also of musicians, so much so that the name 

 of Meholah was applied in difierent forms to musical compositions, 

 and the meaning of the root from which it is derived is singing. But 

 the word Zimran itself means a song. Abiezer or Ezer indicates the 

 helper, and appears in a remarkable Greek word for which no root 

 ean be given, Epikouros, meaning the same thing. The etymology of 

 Hem.an and Chalcol is obscure, ixnless the former, like Jamin, denote 

 the right hoAid. Darda is supposed to signify the pearl of wisdom. 

 A similar Celtic connection to that which comparative etymology 

 aftbrded in the case of the descendants of Gilead is found for three 

 of the names of his sister's family. Zimran, the song, is the Erse 

 Amhran, with the same meaning. Mahol or Mahalah is the Welsh 

 Moli, to sing, Mawlganu, to chant, and the Erse Mai, a poet. But, 

 still more remarkable, the obscure word Ishod or Ishchod, from the 

 root Shochad, a gift or present, is reproduced in the Erse Asccadh,. 

 bearing an identical signification.^^ Were I sufficiently conversant 



1* 2 Sam. xxi. 8. Comisare 2 Sam. xvii. 27. 



^■> The Persian Shekhaut, meaning liberal, generous, is probably the same. 



