DID THE ROMANS COLONIZE AMERICA ? ' 239 



would detail upon the writer the task of a volume in itself, occupying more than 

 our allotted space in this paper. Deferring that duty to a future issue, we shall 

 have to content ourselves in this with a few brief examples. 



One of the most ancient river-names now known — Abana of Damascus — 

 contains two of our terms. As this word has never since been applied to the 

 river (at least so far as is known), it is supposed that Naaman the leper, who first 

 used the expression historically, applied the traditional name to the waters — for 

 he was a learned man, supposed to have been versed in the traditional lore of 

 his country. 



The two terms in this name are Aba and Na. The actual translation of the 

 word as a Hebrew expression makes it " waters" ''sure," — that is waters that 

 flow certainly, with perpetuity. (Isaiah xxxiii., i6,) 



In the Hebrew (where the word is found both as Abana and Amana, the 

 consonants B and M being often used interchangeably) the letter M is the brief 

 significant of the word for water; its full expression is Mo or Ma. (In the origi- 

 nal Hebrew the vowels are omitted, and the reader or translator is often allowed 

 to supply the omission according to his own conjecture. So says Gesenius, the 

 great authority in ancient languages.)* 



Languages which are dialects of, or cognate with, the Hebrew, use varying 

 expressions of the term Aba for river or water. The Sanscrit, which also omitted 

 the vowels, often had Ap as the significant of water. In the Dacian or Wallach- 

 ian, the word is written Apa. These are the same as Aba, for B and P are often 

 used interchangeably in the languages of old. The Persian expression of Aba is 

 in Ab, with the pronunciation and frequent writing of Aub. 



The Arabic of the word is the final syllable, Ba ; or, as sometimes written, 

 Bar or Bahr, the latter containing a hint of an additional term known in the river 

 nomenclature of all nations — the Sanscrit word Ri. As the consonants L and R 

 are used interchangeably also in many languages, this latter term is often found 

 rendered Li. 



The idea expressed in the primitive term Ri, is that of a restless, rapid, 

 rushing current — a stream, a torrent, or a cataract. Its coinage was perhaps 

 due to an onomatopic principle developing in the mind of the earliest philosopher. 

 The term is found now in the river nomenclatures of every people under the sun, 

 and always expressive of the rippling, rapid water. It has received many differing 

 expressions in the written languages of man. We see it in the Brahmapootra of 

 Asia; in the Nachar and Niger of Africa; in the Rhine, the Rhone, and the 

 Dneister of Europe, and in America it is in Missouri and Niagara, and in count- 

 less other river names, not only in America, but elsewhere all over the world. 

 In the name Niagara, Ri appears written with A, while the term Na is rendered 

 with I, the true word being really Naagari (or more correctly still Naoghari. 

 All our Indian words are written in mere conjectural or fanciful orthography, as 

 we shall see more clearly as we proceed). 



4 Hebrew Grammar, page 22 (Dr. Roediger). Appletons. 1868. Comp. remarks, page 5, also. 



