242 
REPORT- 1847 . 
but tbe most obvious division will be a geographical one. First, then, « 
may distinguish the eastern groupe. This by many writers has been tennel 
exclusively the Arian family. It includes all the idioms of the ancient Meds 
and Persians, who named themselves Arii, and their country Eeriend or 
Iran, and likewise the Sanskrit with all the Prakrits, proircriy so termed, w 
the Pali of India. Among tire former was that ancient Persian language!! 
which one particular set of the cuneiform inscriptions wmr written. Tw 
dialect was so near the Sanskrit that the itrscriptions have been interji^ 
through the niediutt! of that language. 'J'bo Zend lays claim to a still iiigUf 
antiquity, since tire Zend is said by Burnouf, Professor Wilson and oLhfft 
who have studied it most successfully, to be more nearly allied to tbeteij 
ancient dialect of the Vedas, which preceded the classical Sanskrit, 
to this last more cultivated speech. 1 low thU claim is to be ^ 
the conijrarativcly recent date of all extant, compusilions in the Zendisblit' 
guage, remains to he cxpluinriJ. 
That the high-crustes or twice-born classes of the Indian race ^ 
same stock aa the ancient Persians, may be crrrtsidered as a fact pstanl^ 
by the affinity of thoir languages. The twice-born classes, as they ^ 
selves, are the Braltinatts, the Xatriyas, and the Vaisyas, or the three hijw 
of the four classes of Ilitrdoos. They also have tire rraine of Aryas, * 
means noble or dignified, and this in doubtless the origin of the rp'^ 
"Apioi, which, as wo h arn from Herodotus, the ancient Medes assumed.^ 
Arian J liiidoos must have crossed the Indus and have driven the 
Indians across the Vtrrdhya inouutains and the Nerbudda into the Dekti^ 
where they still exist and speak their native languages, though mixed w 
or less witli tbe Sanskrit of their Arian conquerors, for we know tlist 
Arian Hhidons conquered the Dckhan and Ceylon at an early pmod. 
Some other Asiatic nations of inferior note speak dialects more 
connected with the saure groupe of the Indo-European languages- A . 
these are the Pushtanch or Affghans, the Armenians and the Ossetts, 
some other nations of tbe chain of Alouiit Caucasus*. ^ 
1 should fill a volume il l were to trace the relations of the remamiuggwi^ 
of languages which belong to the Inilo-European stock. I 
myself to u brief enumeration of the princijial branches. They 
Greek language and its dialects. It is probable that the Lydian aad®*^ 
languages of Iye.wer Asia, and perhaps also the Thracian and Maccdooi 
were allied tn the Hellenic or Pelasgic Greek. 2. The old Epirauc^ 
Illyrlnii; this language is still well known. It is the Skippetariao, or 
man, or Aniaut It is a distinct Indo-European idiom. 3. 
languages cojuprehonding the Latin, Umbrian.Oscan.Sieulian, ami 
the llaseiiic or Etruscan. 4. Probablv the Etniscan was an lodo-tuKI . 
dialect, though distinct from the Italic/ But we know very little as 
the Etmscau language. .5. The old Prus.-^iau, including the 
Lithuanian, said to resemble the Sanskrit more nearly than V . 
European language. G. The great (iemianic family of languages. 
portant as comprehending die iilion»s of that people, who, since / 
threw the Komau empire, liave divided with the Latin nations th^“^. j^ 
of the world, which from die decided superiority of these races in 
tellfctual and moral (jmilities they si-cm destined jointly to maintain. 
Slavonian ur Sarmatian dialects are a seventh s<*clioD: they 
laiip^^s of the eastern parts of Europe, the Russian, Polish and 
and the dialects of a great part of the countries in Europe subject 
** Oisctischc Spraclie," and “ Uber dis Mingrdisebe. 
cliasn-Llif. —Aliliandi. cler Ivoiiigl. Akadcm. der Wissuischsften z\i Berlui. 
