Observations on Lan^ua^re, 381 



this cause transferred from one language to another, 

 thej^ are geaeralfy made to follow the analogy of the 

 language, in vvhich they are interwoven ; yet not so ab- 

 solutely, as to prevent them, if considerably numerous, 

 from increasing its anomalies. 



llie sixth and last cause of such changes, which I 

 shall mention, is Conquest. 



Mankind have been almost ever at war ; and conquests 

 have been made in every spot on the globe. Where- 

 ever the conquerors have continued for a length of 

 time, and established their domininion, they have intro- 

 duced a material change into the language of the con- 

 quered. The Romans spread their language over their 

 whole empire ; and made it the written language of all 

 their western, northern, and of nearly all their southern, 

 provinces. The Saxons in a great measure extermina- 

 ted the language, spoken in England before their arri- 

 val ; and made their own tongue the principal source of 

 the present English. Canute introduced a number of 

 Danish words. IFilliam^ the Norman^ sprinkled the lan- 

 guage with French words : and thus have other con- 

 querors affected the languages of the countries, which 

 they subdued. 



In conquered countries, the laws, and legal processes, 

 being uttered, and directed, by the conquerors, will usu- 

 ally be in their language. The knov/ledge, and use, of 

 this language, must in a considerable degree, therefore, 

 be indispensable to the comfort, and even to the safety, 

 of the conquered. Hence it will be extensively learned 

 by them. Multitudes will also acquire it from fashion ; 

 from a desire to resemble their rulers ; from the hope 

 of being employed in departments of the government ; 

 from the prospect of obtaining lucrative business ; and 

 from various other motives. When conquerors have 

 ruled, for a great length of time ; the changes, wrought 

 in language by their influence, become permanent ; and 

 the language will never return to its original state. The 

 Shanscrit is now a learned language in Hindoostan ; and 

 even the Bengalee, which seems to have followed it in 

 the country of Bengal^ sustains this character in a con- 

 siderable degree. In the Loivlands of Scotland^ the 



TJ 



