134 CORNISH ROCK-NAMES, &c., AND IRISH WORDS. 
even in some parts of Ireland there are terms used, which are 
entirely unknown in other parts of that island. Names too and 
appellations are often imposed, not from their fitness or descriptive 
appropriateness, as often they are devoid of this;—a word, an 
exclamation, an ironical expression, or some such, may give rise to 
a term; consequently sometimes it is impossible to render the 
meaning in accordance with the original intention. Many Philo- 
logists of the present day have agreed that the European tongues 
for the most part belong to one great family called the Aryan, 
which embraces Greek, Latin, German, Celtic, &c., with their 
several sub-divisions or dialects. To these languages they apply 
the term sister-tongues, which supposes some parent language now 
extinct from which they are derived; many words in these 
different languages being cognate, although they may not be derived 
one from the other. 
To me it appears, from all I can glean upon the subject, that 
one important element in the investigation has, till within the last 
few years, been overlocked, if not contemptuously cast aside, namely, 
the Irish Language, which, if thoroughly examined, would be 
found, not only of importance, but also of essential service, in 
elucidating the mystery of the probable relations of the different 
members of the Aryan family.* Any further remarks on this 
highly interesting topic would, however, be out of place in a paper 
devoted to a minor consideration. 
The accompanying Glossary was thus formed :—at the first I 
was supplied with a list of terms by Mr. Henwood ; this I supple- 
mented from the Glossary at the end of Pryce’s valuable work.T 
Subsequently all words apparently Celtic were compared with 
existing and obsolete Irish terms, taken from every source to which 
we had access. To some words evidently Cornish, we could attach 
no likely meaning; these therefore are omitted. Of some of 
those given, the explanation may be considered inapplicable; 
some of these, however, when explained from the Irish have a 
* Pictet, Ebel, Nigra, &c., are now investigating this subject abroad, 
while at home we have Crowe, Whitley Stokes, O’Mahony, and other members 
of the Royal Irish Academy, also engaged in it. 
+ Minerals, Mines, and Mining. By W. Pryce, of Redruth, in Cornwall. 
London, 1778. 
