DR. ANGUS SMITH ON PEAT. 299 



word as pit. The verb pfiitzen, to dabble in water, or splash 

 in water, correctly points out the old process, and even the 

 newest, which by machines resuscitates the old. Indeed, 

 by every plan there is a good deal of dabbling in the soft 

 muddy-looking material. In Scotch and Irish Gaelic, 

 monadh and moin (equal to mountain, I suppose) are used as 

 if the idea were that the peat was merely a part of the hill, 

 and the greatness and profusion were thus indicated. It 

 might also lead one to suppose that, after burning the trees, 

 they had taken to burning the hill itself on which they 

 grew. 



The word turf seems to have a similar origin ; the verb 

 most nearly approaching to it is torfa, "graben, to dig," as 

 given in Heyse's Deutsches Handworterbuch. From this 

 probably comes the common Latin word turba, which I 

 believe is not an old or classic word. I shall leave others 

 to trace it into Asia. 



Heyse thinks the original is the Low German form of 

 the High German Zurb, a broken-off clod or sod, connected 

 with the verb zerren, to tear. 



Cleasby and Vigfussen's Dictionary does not give Torfa 

 in the sense of a verb graben, and indicates that the Ice- 

 landers learnt the use of peat from Scotland. 



A little volume exists called c Dissertatio physica de 

 Turns/ to the title of which is added " sistens historiam 

 naturalem cespitum combust ilium qui in multis Europse 

 regionibus et prascipue in Hollandia reperiuntur ac ligni 

 loco usurpantur ;" it was written by Joh. Hartm. Degner, 

 and was published at Utrecht in 1729. 



Degner describes the chief points relating to peat, begin- 

 ning with the derivation of Torf which he makes little of. 

 He then treats of the districts of peat ; and when he tells 

 us of the great moors of Germany, Holland, &c. we have 

 it put prominently before us that it is not in the Britannic 

 islands that this fuel is preeminent in quantity. 



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