1866.] The Arabic Element in Official Hindustani. 3 



' sheep.' Chaucer's introduction of French words into his poems won 

 for hirn the ridicule of his contemporaries. But in spite of ridicule 

 and learned objectors, the language assimilated these foreign words 

 and profited by the process. 



The German on the other hand has absorbed very little of the Latin 

 or other foreign elements. 



It has endeavoured to meet the wants of civilization and progress by 

 combinations of indigenous words, rather than by borrowing. In 

 other words it has done what our purists wish the Hindustani, to do. 

 The result is known to every one. Great as are the expressiveness 

 and power of composition of the German language,, its usefulness as a 

 practical, working, every -day speech is far below that of English or 

 any other European language. We have only, for instance, to compare 

 a few German words with their English equivalents to see where lies 

 the flexibility, expression, and delicacy of sentiment. 



" Gefangenscliaft" (literally ' catch-hold-ship') would scarcely be felt 

 as an advantageous change for 'custody.' Use might reconcile us to 

 " Begripskiip" but ' custody' means- more than mere holding fast>- 



Vergnuegsam (' For-enougk-some') is but a barbarous substitute for 

 ' contented,' which latter gives us the idea of being contained and se- 

 cure in certain limits ; — while the former is a barren enunciation of 

 merely having enough. Not to mention the unpleasantly harsh colli- 

 sion of consonants. 



Verurtheilung, sentence. Here the English word is far the more 

 manageable than the clumsy circumlocution of. " fore-out-telling" or 

 " parting." 



Vervolllcommen. £; To complete" is again better than " To fore- 

 full-come." 



Wiederanfleben, revival, "das wiederaufleben der Gelehrsamkeit 

 (the again-up-living of be-lore-some-hood) is rather a roundabout 

 substitute for the neat and concise English, " the revival of learning."" 



Wiederherstellungsmittel. Here is a nice morsel for throat and teeth* 

 It looks very alarming, but only means " a restorative," and the 

 English word gives the meaning quite as fully as the monstrous Ger- 

 man compound. Wieder = re ; herstellung = stor (stauz) 's ; mittel 

 = ative. 



Zusammenberufen, to convoke. 



