 |
vol. title: Vol Four of The Theosophical Society of The Arya Samaj of Arya-wart vol. period: Sept 1878 – Sept 1879 pages in vol.: 350 |
< Origin, Progress and Destiny of the English Language and Literature (continued from page 8-195) >
of analysis may not be exaggerated, for philology and history have much more in common between them than is generally believed. Dr. Weisse’s linguistic classification stands thus:—
Ario-Japhetic Type:
Thraco-Pelasgic or Græco-Latin Family.
Scytho-Gotho-Germanic „
Gomero-Celtic „
Sormato-Sclavonic „
Ario-Semitic Type:
Semitic Family.
Ario-Hamitic Type:
In the same way the English language is divided into three periods, from its formation to our day: Anglo-Saxon period from A. D. 449 to 1200; Franco-English from A. D. 1200 to 1600; and English from A. D. 1600 to 1878. The ostensible objects of Dr. Weisse’s elaborate work are to show the real origin and progress of the English language; to make the coming generation realize the superiority of their idiom over others, to show the inconsistency of the so-called English orthography; to suggest a method to write, and print English as it is pronounced; and lastly, to stimulate the English-speaking millions all over the globe, and so to simplify the uttering, writing and printing of their language as to make it a desideratum for universal adoption. If Dr. Weisse’s work is read as extensively as it ought to be, it must achieve what it proposes to effect.
It will, doubtless, interest our readers to know, that Dr. Weisse has improved the worth of his work by adopting the suggestions thrown out by others. Thus, Professor G. P. Marsh in his Lectures on the English language recommends a more thorough and extensive research in order to arrive at satisfactory conclusions with regard to the origin of the English language. This more thorough and extensive research is found in the extracts and tables of Dr. Weisse’s book. Our author has done even more. Professor Marsh said: ‘I have made no attempt to assign words not of Anglo-Saxon origin, to their respective sources.’ The attempt is made in the work before us, and here is the result; the sources are: Anglo-Saxon, Gothic, Danish, Swedish, German, Dutch, Flemish, and Icelandic; Welch, Cornish, Scotch, Irish, and Portuguese; Russian; Arabic, Hebrew, and Aramaic. Thus Dr. Weisse is enabled to say, that the English of to-day is a compound of twenty-three idioms, ancient and modern, dead and living.
The part of the work, however, that has most interested us is that devoted to the destiny of the English language. After an exhaustive examination, the author exclaims: “Who then can, who will doubt, that a language with such a choice vocabulary, such vast resources, and such an enterprising population, is destined to become, at no distant period, the universal language on Earth? Circumnavigate the globe—go from pole to pole—and the English tongue will hail you on every ocean and sea, greet you on every island, welcome you in every haven, accompany you along Morse’s wires above and under water with lightening speed. Even around the sources of the White Nile, and among the jungles of Central Africa, it echoed from the lips of Baker, Livingstone and Stanley. On this tour you meet the ancient Ophir, the famous Eldorado, and a southern continent as large as Europe, governed by the English idiom.” We believe, that the destiny of the English language is as great as it is predicted; for such is not only Dr. Weisse’s opinion, but foreign and unbiassed scholars have said most flattering things of the English tongue. Dr. Rapp, the German scientist and author of “Physiology of Language” speaks of its suitableness for universal adoption; while the French savant, de Candolle, has calculated that English will be spoken by eight hundred and sixty millions within a hundred years.
There is in the work before us a most readable account of the origin of newspapers. The author has arranged a table, that shews different countries, their populations, newspapers, and souls per newspaper, thus giving an idea of the world’s reading capacity. Thus in 1870 the world had 13,564 newspapers of which 7,527 belonged to the ninety English-speaking millions. It may interest our readers to know that the “Indian Spectator” has been noticed in this work. In fact it is chosen from the 7,527 newspapers, issued by the ninety English speaking millions all over the globe, in order to compare its vocabulary with that of 38 other newspapers and authors. The “Indian Spectator” is the only journal from India that has received this high honour in America.
Editor's notes
- ↑ Uncaptioned illustration by unknown author