414 



THE COPTIC ELEMENT IN 



The forms presented in the above table, excepting those in italics, 

 which, like sur and shir, dob and tah, exhibit interesting relations, 

 although imconnected with the roots under consideration, may be 

 reduced to four. In the first the initial I combines with h, hh, v, p, 

 pJh fi '^j ***' '^j ^^^ even a mere vowel, as in leo, while in the second 

 it unites to form the root with c, ch, k, x, g, gh, j, z, s, sh, and even 

 A or a vowel. In the third and fourth an initial r takes the place of 

 the I of the first and second. The prefixes vary from a simple vowel 

 or breathmg to well developed representatives of the Coptic and 

 Cushite articles. The most common affix is that in c? or ^ as in light, 

 licht, lacd, Uaeth, galaktos, lebut, lahat, art, lleuad, airgiod, argentiim, 

 arktos, rajatam, which sometimes acquires such power as to extinguish 

 the second consonant of the root.^® 



'«6 The following analysis of the table is suggestive. 



