338 



accounted for by supposing that it was confounded with the 

 n of the article. 



Another law, of which Dr. Graves proved the application, 

 is, that several Irish words beginning with vowels have Latin 

 cognates, beginning with p. 



The following were adduced as instances : — 



Palma, 



culm. 



Piscis, 



iar-5 



Pater, 



acain. 



Porcus, 



ope. 



Pectus, 



ucc. 



Purus, 



up. 



In such cases the^? was probably first softened into an/, 

 which afterwards disappeared. This view is confirmed by the 

 fact, that the Teutonic cognate in two of the preceding in- 

 stances, viz., pater, and piscis, begins with f. And the disap- 

 pearance of an initial /is most frequent in Irish. 



