ART. V.-A Dictionary of the Anglo-Saxon Language, containing the Accentuation, the Grammatical Inflections, the Irregular Words referred to the Themes, the Parallel Terms from the other Gothic Languages, the meaning of the Anglo-Saxon in English and Latin, and copious English and Latin Indexes, serving as a Dictionary of English and Anglo-Saxon, as well as of Latin and Anglo-Saxon. With a long Preface on the Germanic Tongues, a Map of Languages, and the Essentials of AngloSaxon Grammar. By the Reverend J. BoSWORTH, Dr. Phil. of Leyden, F. R. S., F. S. A., &c. London: 1837. 8vo.

THE population of Europe appears to have issued from the East in three streams. The tribes of the Cimmerians or Celts first left Asia, and were pushed forward by succeeding emigrations until they arrived at the borders of the Atlantic Ocean. The exact time when they entered Europe cannot now be ascertained. Herodotus says that they settled in Europe before the Scythians. A portion of these Celts at a very late period left Gaul, and crossing the straits of Dover, entered Britain. The second source of European population were the Teutonic, German, or Gothic tribes, who, like the Celts, passed into Europe over the Cimmerian Bosphorus, between the Black Sea and the Sea of Azof; but at a later period, probably about B. C. 680. These tribes dwelt on the banks of the Danube about B. C. 450, and extended southward. They continued their march towards the West, and in Cæsar's time had driven the Celts beyond the Rhine, and were then known by the name of Teutoni, and afterwards Getæ or Goths. The third and last influx of population brought to Europe the Sclavonian or Sarmatian nations, probably about B. C. 450. Coming last, they settled in the more eastern parts, in Russia, Poland, Eastern Prussia, &c. Each of these waves brought with them a different language. It is with the second, the Teutonic, German or Gothic, that we are most concerned.

The language of the Teutonic tribes is divided into two important branches, the Germanic and the Scandinavian. The latter includes the Icelandic, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, &c. The former is subdivided into the Low-Germant (Platt-Deutsch,)

Melpom. sect. xi.

+ It is hardly necessary to remark, that the word German is not of Teutonic, but Gallic origin, and signifies a spearman, spear bearer. When united as one people

and High-German (Hoch-Deutsch.) From the Platt-Deutsch come the Anglo-Saxon, the Friesic, and the Old-Saxon, and through them, the English with its dialects, the Dutch, the Flemish, and the present Low-German dialects, spoken in the north or low and flat parts of Germany. This language is softer than High-German, to which belong the Moso-Gothic, Alemannic, and Francic, and consequently the modern High-German and its dialects. It prevailed in the mountainous or southern parts of Germany, and was distinguished by its predilection for long vowels and diphthongs, and a rough enunciation; whereas the Low-German used s instead of the sch, and t instead of the harsh tz and z of their neighbors, and delighted in simple vowels.

To the Hoch-Deutsch belongs the oldest specimen of Teutonic literature, found in the version of the gospels by Ulphilas into Moso-Gothic. This tribe is traced in its first position in the northern and broader parts of the Chersonesus Cimbricus;* but afterwards it came south, and the Visigoths or West-Goths being oppressed by the Huns, obtained, at the suit of Ulphilas, their bishop, protectiont from the Roman Emperor Valens, A. D. 376. The bishop was eminent for his talents, learning, and prudence; and his zeal for christianity induced him to translate the Bible from the Greek into his native tongue, between A. D. 360 and 380. It has been thought that this was the pure German of the period when it was written, but this is open to doubt. The Alemannic or Swabian was originally written by Kero, Rhabanus Maurus, &c. The Francic seems to occupy an intermediate place between the High and Low-German; but as its spirit is more inclined to the former, it is classed with that. The Francs inhabited the banks of the Rhine, from Mayence to Cleves, the present Rhine provinces of Prussia, Warzburg, Bamburg, and in short, Franconia; and they gradually increased their territory until the empire of Charlemagne was founded. The chief writers in this language are Willeram and Isidore.

But it is in the other branch of the Germanic languages, the Platt-Deutsch, that we are most interested. This, as we have before said, embraces, first, the Anglo-Saxon, written by King

under Charlemagne, they called themselves Teutschen or Deutschen, evidently identical with the Teutoni of Cæsar and Livy. The repμavioi of Herodotus (Clio, 125) had evidently no connexion with these; they were a Persian tribe. The controversy to which this name gave rise has long since subsided, though, as Wesseling wittily remarks, there are, and always will be, some individuals of such a wayward temperament as to prefer, since the discovery of corn, the feeding upon acorns. *Gutlaw, Denmark.

+ Mosia, now Belgium and Servia, was assigned them as a residence. Hence the name Maso-Goth.

Alfred, by Aelfric, Caedmon, &c.; secondly, the Friesic, remains of which are found in the Asega-buch, Brocman's Laws, &c.; and thirdly, the Old-Saxon, in which is written Tatian's Harmony of the Gospels, the Heliand, Reincke Vos, &c.

The Anglo-Saxons* derived their name and in fact their being from the Angles, a tribe of the Saxon confederacy, which inhabited Anglen in the southeastern part of the Duchy of Sleswick in Denmark. These Saxons were probably among the earliest, if not the earliest, of the Teutonic tribes which left the East. In the days of Ptolemy,† A. D. 141, they were as far westward as the Elbe, and we hear of them again in A. D. 294, as uniting with the Francs to repel the Roman invasion of the North. This step increased their power, and they finally obtained and settled the tract of country embraced by the Elbe, the Sala, and the Rhine, in addition to their ancient territory from the Elbe to the Eider. This wide extent of country contained several nations united for mutual defence. The Saxon name at first denoting but a single tribe was adopted by the confederacy. Of these Saxon tribes, the Jutes, Angles, Saxons proper, and a few Friesians obtained settlements in England, and were first invited by the Britons, during the reign of Vortigern, to protect them against the invasions of the Picts. Their character seems not to have been very reputable. "The Saxons," says Milton, "were a barbarous and heathen nation, famous for nothing else but robberies and cruelties done to all their neighbors, both by sea and land; in particular to this island, witness that military force which the Roman emperors maintained here purposely against them, under a special commander, whose title, as is found on good record, was, 'Count of the Saxon shore in Britain; and the many mischiefs done by their landing there, both alone and with the Picts, witness as much. Such guests as these the Britons now resolved to send for, and entreat into their houses and possessions, at whose very name heretofore they trembled afar off." "And," adds the pious historian," so much do men

* This people never called themselves Anglo-Saxons, but the name is given them by historians. Vide Paulus Diaconus, de gest. Longobard. iv. 23. vi. 15. v. 37. + Geog. lib. ii. c. 11.

The most common derivation given of the word Saxon is from seax, a sword, Maso-Gothic ahs, spica. It will be observed that most of these kindred nations appear to have derived their appellation from the weapons which they used. Thus, Franc, from franca, a javelin; German, from gar, a spear or dart, and man, man, a dart-man; Anglo, from Angel, aculeus hamalus, a barbed point. Others derive the name Saxon from the Saca, a tribe of Scythians; Sakai-suna, contracted into Sak-sun, Saxon. Pliny (lib. ii. c. 11) calls some of these people Sacassani. After all, we have no great faith in the etymologies of the names of nations.

through impatience count ever that the heaviest which they bear at present, and to remove the evil which they suffer, care not to pull on a greater, as if variety and change in evil also were acceptable. Or whether it be that men in despair of the better, imagine fondly a kind of refuge from one misery to another."— For their services a permanent residence was to be allowed, and lands assigned them.

The Jutes, under the command of Hengist and Horsa, came over first. They landed in Britain, A. D. 469, and for their successful protection were rewarded with the possession of Kent, the Isle of Wight, and part of Hampshire. The Saxons came next, and eventually established three kingdoms; the first under Eller, in A. D. 491, by the name of South-Saxons, South-Sax, Sussex; the second by Cerdic, in 494, and its location being west of the other settlements, was called West-Sax, Wessex; a third was planted in 527 in Essex, Middlesex, and a part of Hertfordshire, under the name of East-Saxons, East-Sax, Essex.* The Angles about the year 527 obtained a settlement in East Anglia, containing Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridge, and a part of Bedfordshire. Many Friesians also accompanied their kindred.t Whether the Angles or Saxons were most numerous is not now known; but the Angles finally conquered the largest portion of the island, and hence gave their name to the people and country: Engla-land, the land of the Angles, contracted into England. One Jute, three Saxon, and four Angle, in all, eight kingdoms, were established in Britain by the year 586. But their situation was by no means secure, and they were obliged to contend, not only with the Britons, who were finally driven into Wales, but with new and fierce opponents, the Northmen or Danes. The WestSaxons, who had gradually extended their influence, and now ruled Britain, under the command of Alfred, the greatest of the Saxon kings, drove these new invaders from the kingdom. But under Canute the Danes were more successful, and founded a dynasty which reigned twenty-six years. At the end of that period, in 1042, the Saxon line was restored, but fell again in 1066, when England fell into possession of William the Conqueror, with whose accession the rule ceased which had lasted about six hundred years.

During the reign of Alfred, the West-Saxon became the pol

* After many of the Saxons had migrated, the parent stock were called OldSaxons.

This fact is discussed at large in the chapter on the Friesic in the preface to the dictionary.

ished language of Britain. His patriotism led him to give predominance not only to the arms but to the literature of that people. He translated into his native tongue Boethius, Orosius, and Bede; and by his invitation learned men from all parts of Europe flocked to England. It is not known with certainty which is the oldest Anglo-Saxon composition that has come down to us, but it is most probably found in the laws of Ethelbert, king of Kent, written about A. D. 600. Some writers, however, have awarded the palm of priority to the poem of Beowulf, the Traveller's Song; but in the most ancient manuscripts of this, there are allusions to occurrences which took place subsequent to the known date of Ethelbert's laws. There is nevertheless no doubt but that this poem was originally composed at a much earlier period, probably about A. D. 450. The language is found in its highest state of purity in the writings of Alfred, Aelfric, Caedmon, the poem of Beowulf, and in the version of the gospels published by Marshall. A specimen of pure Anglo-Saxon from this last work is given below, and also for facility of comparison the same extract from the Northumbrian Gloss, A. D. 900.

*

MARK IV. 3-8.

3. Gehyrað, ute eode se sædere hys sæd to sawenne.

4. And ba he sew, sum feoll with bone weg, and fugelas comon and hyt fræton. 5. Sum feoll ofer stanscytigean, þar hyt næfde mycel eorðan, and sona up eode, fortham be hyt næfde eorðan þicenesse.

6. þa hyt up-code, seo sunne hyt forswælde, and hyt forsranc, forþam hyt wirtruman næfde.

7. And sum feoll on þornas, þa stigon þa þornas and forðrysmodon þæt, and hyt wæstm ne bær.

8. And sum feoll on god land, and hyt sealde, upstigende and wexenele, wæstm, and an brohte brittig-fealdne, sum syxtig-fealdne, sum hund-fealdne.

The same from the Northumbrian gloss, or Durham book:

3. Heono eode de sawende I sedere to sawenne.

4. And miðos geseuw, oder I sú feoll ymb ða stret, and ewomon flegendo and fretton I eton ðæt.

5. Sum se feoll of stæner, der ne hæfde eorðu michel I wenig; and hræðe upp iornende was I arisan was f oon niefde heanisse eorðes.

6. And ða arisen I ða upp eode wæs sunna, gedrugade I f bernde: foon niefde wyrtsuma, gedrugade.

7. And sum feoll in dornum, and astigon I upp eodum dornas, and under dulfon bæt, and waestm ne salde.

8. And oder feoll on eorde godu, and salde waestm stigende, and wæxende, and to brohte eune I an orittig and un sexdig and an hundrað.

The Anglo-Saxon seems to have been the fruit of a junction

Published at Dordrecht, in 1665. The Anglo-Saxon gospels from the text of Marshall, the Rushworth Gloss, MS. Bodl., together with all the Anglo-Saxon translations of the gospels, will shortly appear, or have already appeared, from the Pitt press, Cambridge.