174 Proceed "in ga of the Asiatic Society. [July, 



on tlie part of Indian graduates not taking up Greek or Latin. The 

 Society might tlierefoie have refrained altogether from interfering with 

 educational movements — but having already interfered, it is too late at 

 this time of day to say that it has no business with a motion of this 

 kind. It has already entered into the business — it cannot now back 

 out. It must face the resolution. Let it negative the resolution 

 directly if it can — but while approving it in its essentials, let it not 

 throw it overboard by something like a motion of the previous question. 



Mr. Banerjea then moved an amendment in the wording of the 

 resolution, which he said ought to conclude with the words " for 

 which equivalents are not found in the Indian vernaculars or the 

 classical languages from which they are derived." He thought that 

 while" elaborate fabrications of new compounds, quite as unintelligible 

 as any European terms, and much more so than current European 

 terms, were to be deprecated, no terms already existing in the clas- 

 sical languages of the country should be ignored. 



Mr. D. Waldie said : — 



" I do not intend to object to any modification wdiich the honorable 

 mover of this resolution may make upon it, but I confess that I 

 should have preferred Mr. Campbell's original motion. Sir Donald 

 Macleod's proposal on this subject appears to me very objectionable, „ 

 for it seems to give encouragement to a spirit of nationality. Now, 

 science knows nothing of nationality : science is cosmopolitan in 

 its spirit, and it is of the greatest importance that its language should 

 be as universally understood as possible. Major Lees has said that 

 the chief advantage and necessity for scientific nomenclature is, thai 

 it may be universally understood. This, it is true, is a highly impor- 

 tant point, but it is not its primary object: that, as has already been 

 indicated by Mr. Blanford, is precision of definition. Etymology is 

 of subsidiary importance ; in giving a name, though it be to his dog 

 or his horse, a man always has some reason, but the name becomes 

 arbitrary, and its origin is often forgotten. For instance in the case 

 of the chemical elements Chlorine, Bromine and Iodine; though these 

 names were derived from Greek words, indicating certain qualities of 

 i bieee bodies, the large majority of people acquainted with these bodies 

 and their properties, will much more readily remember the Greek 

 words from the knowledge they have of these properties, than they 



