180 



ETIIKOLCJOY or THE fNDO-PAClf ISLANDS. 



and v;jrirlie.s of wiik-ly scatterctl Afiialic roots. Amongst llic 

 Mid md No] ill Aeiulic nffinu'ic» llic SHinoisdc^^ Ytsniseiiii) and 

 Ugriaii are move numerous and often more closti ihtin ihf proper 

 Tularor nny others, save the Asoncsian. Ttio Mid-Aniaii utfirntio!* 

 of the hitter Jireeqmtlly striking and very numerous and embrace a 

 multitude of vocfthles not now found in Iiuiinu vocaljuluries. The 

 Draviro-jVsonesiun lanj^uages have ais-o a eonsitlerable number of 

 vocables in common witli the E. Iranian, Caucasian and InJo- 

 Eiiropenn tongues and with ihe more Seythoid of ihe African 

 vocabularies. The affinities with the jirojier Semiiic vocabulariis 

 are less numerous. The affinities in ultimate monoayllabie rocjts 

 embrace Chinese and Tibeto-Ultndndian vocabularies. The 

 affinities Avilh Semitic and Africau hinjrua^es appear to be mainly 

 indirect and referable to the common MiJ-Aaiaiic cEement, but 

 Home are direct and imply an early and active commercial inter- 

 course by iho aid of the monsoons along the northern part of ihe 

 Indian Ocean, The special affinities of the proper Dravirian with 

 the Caucasian vocabularies are striking. 



It is probable that the most numerous classes of gloasarial 

 idtinitics are connected in origin with the tuost striking phoiiL'tic 

 and ideologic affinities. The most positive inference that we ap- 

 pear to be warranted in drawing is that the strongfy Scythie 

 character of Dravirian, and ft large number of the Dravtrian 

 vocables, are referable to a variable ITgroidor prot(>-Scythic forma- 

 tion which early prevailed in Mi J- Asia, and by aucccssivc 

 ethnic movements difFnaed its form or extended its influence not 

 only to the Caucaiian, Iranian and Indian but to the East ant] 

 Mid-African languages. The numerous and striking resembhtJicos 

 of Dravirian to East Iranian, Esist-African, Caucasian and Mid 

 and North Asiatic, particularly Ugrian, Samoide and Yeniseian, 

 vocabks are best explained in this mode. As the Seythic tribes 

 have always been the most nomadic, and the form of their langua- 

 ges is deeply Impressed on Dravirian, it is reasonable to regard 

 their movements as having been the common cause of these re- 

 semblances. 



This emiuiry, slight and superficial as it has been, may serveo t 



