1837.] An Essay on the Relationship of Languages, tyc. 133 



XII. — An Essay on the Relationship of Languages and Nations. — By 



o 



the Reverend Bernhard Schmid. 



The idea of ascertaining the relationship of nations by comparing 

 their languages, is peculiar to the learned of modern Europe ; and, if 

 carried on in a philosophical spirit, and according to sober and well 

 substantiated rules of etymology, it cannot but afford most important 

 clues, and lead us to very unexpected historical and antiquarian disco- 

 veries. Such a study of languages may well be compared to the 

 equally modern branch of human inquisitiveness, the study of fossil 

 remains of a former world, of which the examination of the Sivatherium, 

 in the 12th number of the Madras Journal of Literature and Science, 

 contains so instructive and interesting a specimen. 



The design of the present paper is merely to suggest some authenti- 

 cated hints, in what quarter and by what methods philologico-histo- 

 rical discoveries may be made ; in hopes that those who have more 

 leisure and literary means, will pursue these inquiries, and communi- 

 cate their remarks to the literary public. 



1. — Those who have directed their attention to the study of a compari- 

 son of languages are agreed, that a conformity of the grammatical part 

 (the inflexions of the conjugations and declensions), is one of the most 

 infallible proofs of the, near relationship of languages. If this is cor- 

 rect, the Armenian language will be found to occupy a most important 

 place in our inquiries; as will be apparent from the following state- 

 ments : 



Armenian Auxiliary • Terminations of the 



T r i J Hirst Conjugation. A ^ . . A J . 

 Verb. J a 4 0 onj. in Armenian. 



em, I am es sirem, I love em, active 



es, thou art tu sires, thou lovest am, neuter 



e, he is na sire, he loves um, reciprocal 



emk, we are mek siremk, we love im, passive 



ek, you are tuk sirek, you love 



en, they are noka siren, they love 



Before I proceed, I would just observe that the Armenian auxiliary, 

 although preserved only in fragments in other languages, seems to have 

 been the basis of all the Indo-European conjugations ; the terminations 

 of the Armenian conjugations, or rather modifications of the verb, are 

 remarkably simple, regular, consistent, and evidently formed by the 

 same people who formed the other inflexions, without interference and 

 immixture of other languages. 



2. — But there are also various words which throw an important light 

 on the question, and prove that the Armenian is a very interesting 

 middle-link between several Indo-European languages; e.g. mietz 



