The English Language Part 12

_Sing._ 1. Ik ben 1. Ik } 2. ? 2. Thu } Was.

3. Hi is 3. Hi } _Plur._ 1. Wi } 1. Wi } 2. I } Send 2. I } Weron.

3. Hja } 3. Hja }

_Subjunctive._

_Present._ _Past._

_Sing._ 1. 2. 3. Se 1. 2. 3. Were.

_Plur._ 1. 2. 3. Se 1. 2. 3. Were.

_Infin. Wesa._ _Pr. Part._ Wesande. _Past Part._ E-wesen.

The Frisian numerals (to be compared with those of the Anglo-Saxons, p.

43), are as follows:--_en_, _twa_, _thrju_, {54} _fjuwer_, _fif_, _s.e.x_, _sjugun_, _achta_, _njugun_, _tian_, &c. Of these the first three take an inflection, e.g., _En_, like _G.o.de_ and the adjectives, has both a definite and an indefinite form, _en_, and _thet ene_; whilst _twa_ and _thrju_ run as follows:--_Nom._ and _Acc. Neut._ twa; _Masc._ twene; _Fem._ twa; _Dat._ twam; _Gen._ twira.--_Nom._ and _Acc. Neut._ thrju; _Masc._ thre; _Fem._ thrja; _Dat._ thrim; _Gen._ thrira.

In respect to the p.r.o.nouns, there is in the Old Frisian of Friesland no dual number, as there is in Anglo-Saxon. On the other hand, however, the Frisians (whilst they have no such form as _his_) possess, like the Icelandic, the inflected adjectival p.r.o.noun _sin_, corresponding to the Latin _suus_: whilst, like the Anglo-Saxons, and unlike the Icelanders, they have nothing to correspond with the Latin _se_.

-- 95. In Frisian there is between the demonstrative p.r.o.noun used as an article, and the same word used as a demonstrative in the limited sense of the term, the following difference of declension:--

THE ARTICLE.

_Neuter._ _Masculine._ _Feminine._

_Sing. Nom._ Thet Thi Thju.

_Acc._ Thet Thene Tha.

----------/--------/ _Dat._ Tha There.

_Gen._ Thes There.

--------------/-------------/ _Plur. Nom._ Tha.

_Acc._ Tha.

_Dat. _ Tha.

_Gen._ Thera.

p.r.o.nOUN.

_The Demonstrative in the limited sense of the word._

_Neuter._ _Masculine._ _Feminine._

_Sing. Nom._ Thet Thi Se.

_Acc._ Thet Thene Se.

---------/--------/ _Dat._ Tham There.

_Gen._ Thes There.

-------------/---------------/ {55} _Plur. Nom._ Se.

_Acc._ Se.

_Dat._ Tham.

_Gen._ Thera.

The Saxons draw no such a distinction. With them the article and demonstrative is declined as follows:--

_Neuter._ _Masculine._ _Feminine._

_Sing. Nom._ aet Se Seo.

_Acc._ aet one a.

-----/----/ _Dat._ am ['ae]re.

_Gen._ aes ['ae]re.

--------/-------/ _Plur. Nom._ a.

_Acc._ a.

_Dat._ am.

_Gen._ ara.

-- 96. _Specimen of Glossarial affinity._--Taken from Rask's Preface to his Frisian Grammar:--

_Frisian._ _Anglo Saxon._ _English._

age Eage _Eye_.

Haved Heafod _Head_.

Kind Cild _Child_.

Erva Eafora _Heir_.

Drochten Drihten _Lord_.

Nacht Niht _Night_.

Red R['ae]d _Council_ (_Rede_).

Dede D['ae]d _Deed_.

Nose Nasu _Nose_.

ein agen _Own_.

Kapie Ceapige _I buy_ (_Chapman_).

Dua Don _To do_.

Sla Slean _Slay_.

Gunga Gangan _Go_ (_Gang_).

-- 97. In this Chapter there has been, thus far, an attempt to do two things at once. Firstly, to exhibit the _general_ likeness between stocks, branches, &c.; and secondly, to show the _special_ affinities between certain languages allied to our {56} own, and of the Gothic Stock. What follows, consists of certain observations upon two or three points of nomenclature.

-- 98. _German._--The points to remember concerning this term are--

1. That it is no national name, but a name given by the Latins to the natives of the country called Germania. The word _German_ is foreign to all the Gothic languages.

2. That it was first applied to proper Germanic tribes in the time of Julius Caesar, and that it served to distinguish the Gothic Germans from the Celtic Gauls.

3. That, anterior to the time of Caesar, there is no proof of it being applied as a distinctive designation to any of the tribes to whom it was afterwards limited. The first tribe to whom it was applied, was (in the opinion of the present writer) a Gallic tribe.

4. That since the time of Julius Caesar, its application has been constant, _i.e._, it has always meant Gothic tribes, or Gothic languages.

5. That sometimes it has been general to the whole nation--_Unde fit ut tantae populorum mult.i.tudines arctoo sub axe oriantur, ut non immerito universa illa regio Tanai tenus usque ad occiduum, licet et propriis loca ea singula nuncupentur nominibus, generali tamen vocabulo Germania vocitetur ... Gothi, siquidem, Vandalique, Rugi, Heruli, atque Turcilingi, necnon etiam aliae feroces ac barbarae nationes e Germania prodierunt._--Paulus Diaconus.

6. That sometimes it has been peculiar and distinctive to certain prominent portions of the nation--_equi fraenis_ Germanicis, _sellis_ Saxonicis _falerati_.

7. That the general power of the word has been, with few exceptions, limited to the Germans of Germany. We do not find either English or Scandinavian writers calling their countrymen _Germani_.

8. That the two German tribes most generally meant, when the word _German_ is used in a limited sense, are the Franks and the Alemanni.