PREFACE.

"The science of language is a modern one, as much so as geology and chemistry; it be longs, like them, to the nineteenth century."-Prof. W. D. WHITNEY.

OUR new method of analyzing the English language was suggested by the term Anglo-Saxon, used by enthusiasts as a national and linguistic pedigree. The people of England seemed to us as much mixed as any nation in Europe; the people of the United States more than any European nation, and the English idiom more Greco-Latin than Anglo-Saxon. A strict analysis of Anglo-Saxon and English literature, from King Ethelbert, A.D. 597, to Queen Victoria, realized our opinion, not only historically and philologically, but numerically.

Our book is no eulogy on the virtues of the ninety English-speaking millions, nor is it a satire on their vices; but an essay on what they have achieved in language, which contains the thought and wisdom of the nation. We analyzed about one hundred and fifty Anglo-Saxon, English and American writings and authors, from A.D. 597 to our day; their ultimate percentages will show the origin of the English language.

Prof. Draper tells us, in the preface of his excellent work, entitled "Intellectual Development of Europe: "We gain a more just and thorough appreciation of the thoughts

and motives of men in successive ages of the world." In conformity with this idea, we divide our essay into Centuries, not only to appreciate men's thoughts, but to show the gradual progress of a superior language, in which, according to Horne Tooke, "all science whatever must center."

We started this investigation with intent to show the inferiority of the English language as compared with Greek, Latin, French, and German; but, finding that it contains the cream and essence of its predecessors and cotemporaries, that its grammar is simpler than any we have studied, and that its records and literature are more successive and complete than those of any other tonguewe must acknowledge the fact, in order to be true to our convictions. You have but to follow our account from century to century, and you cannot help being convinced of the truth of every statement. As we think “the agitation of thought is the beginning of wisdom," we hope our analysis will be thoroughly and fairly scrutinized and commented on.

Behold our linguistic classification, slightly modified from that used by previous philologists:

This classification is based on the writings of eminent ancient, Medieval and modern authors. The above terms

are long and cumbersome, but they may be tolerated and excused, when it is considered that they cover and include not only Balbi's 31 families, but Humboldt's and Bromme's 900 languages, of which 53 belong to Europe, 157 to Asia, 125 to Africa, 445 to America, and 120 to Oceanica. Even the 5,000 dialects admitted by the German savant may find room in our three comprehensive linguistic, Genealogic, Historic and Geographic Types, founded on the Pentateuch, Zendavesta, Vedas and Popol Vuh-on Homer, Herodotus, Strabo, Pliny, Josephus, Tacitus, Ximenes, Lavoisne, Renan, Schleicher, Max Müller, Rawlinson, etc.

We prefer the above division, because its terms are historic and ethnologic, and not geographic, as Indo-European, Indo-Germanic, and the like; and because its roots : ar, Ia; sem, sam; Am, Ham, Cham, have an immense linguistic and patronymic range, not limited by any river, mountain, country, or part of the world, but used as names of mankind's gods, heroes, pioneers, or watchwords.

We divide the English language, from its formation to our day, into three periods:

Anglo-Saxon period from A.D. 449 to 1200.

The object of this work, to which the author has devoted his leisure hours for thirty years, is:

I. To lay before the English-speaking populations, in both hemispheres, the real origin and progress of their language;

II. To make the coming generation realize the superi

ority of their idiom over others, as to the refinement and vigor of its vocabulary, clearness of diction, simplicity in grammar, and directness in construction;

III. To show the inconsistency of so-called English orthography;

IV. To suggest a method to write and print English as it is pronounced, and remove the few remaining irregularities from its grammar;

V. Last, to stimulate the English-speaking millions all over the globe, so to simplify the uttering, writing and printing of their language as to make it a desideratum for universal adoption.

JOHN A. WEISSE, M.D.

30 W. 15TH ST., NEW YORK, 1878.