A Philosophicall Essay for the Reunion of the Languages | Page 6

the first rise of a
people more remote, and with which they are lesse acquainted; So I
hope I may be permitted to make what advantage I can of the first
combinations and colonies to give a clearer light to the beginnings and
connexion of the severall Tongues, there being something near the
same, or a like proportion between both: as for instance, To make good
the opinion of Dionysius Halicarnasseus, and Quintilian, who both
pretend that the Latin tongue is no more then a Dialect of the Antient
Greek, is but in plain and easie words to give an account of all the little
settlements, and Plantations in Italy, which for some continuance of
time was only inhabited by colonies from Greece.
Upon what other terms I hardly understand this new project should be
surprizing to any, it being not the meer effect of imagination, or an
humorous Idea, neither will it much ingage any sort of people, but only
such as can easily dislodge their prejudices when their owne lights shall
assist in their conviction, and that from such assurances as shall be
most free from suspicion, being faithfull deductions from the histories
of the Colonies. But as it is impossible that the Languages should not
be liable to severall alterations and mixtures from the different
associations of people in severall removes, so neither is it to be believ'd
that this was done all on a sudden; there seems to be a resemblance
between the words that make up the Language and Travellers, who do
not put off their accustom'd usages and manners so soon as they arrive
at a new Country, neither are they naturaliz'd, but with time and by
degrees become masters of the Air, humors, and qualities of the persons
with whom they converse.
Since then this corruption is but of a graduall and intensible growth,
there is a necessitie, for its more certain discovery, of an orderly
reflection upon the very first beginnings of the differences, being in the
interim very sollicitous to prevent a false retreat that might either
ingage me too farr, or else in some unluckie circumstances, from which
it would be no little difficulty to retire. And this seems to be the only
way that I could find out to scatter a certain Air and appearance of truth

upon all that regard the present subject, which hath no farther a
probability then what is given it from such a carefull mannagement,
that shall suffer no pass from one extreame to the other without
touching upon that mean which is as it were the time of communication
between both, for it is from this chain of words and sequel of
alterations that all the suitablenesse, and likelyhood of this present
method principally depends.
Although in reality there is no reason to doubt but that the French is a
corruption of the Latine, I could not however very easily perswade my
selfe that the word dechoir should derive its selfe from cadere of the
Latines, if I did not perceive all its severall and distinct conveiances
through the Alembic. They that first corrupted the Language of the
Romans instead of cadere made use of cader, as the Italians do to this
day, who commonly cut off the final vowels where they obseve them to
follow Liquids. They that came after proceeded yet farther in their
retrenchment, and from cader form'd caer, as the Spaniards now use it,
by taking away the letter d according to their ordinary custome, when it
is seated in the middle of words. There are another sort of people yet
more sturdy and blunt in their formes of speech, who would say Car or
Ker by a contraction of the two Vowels into one, as is observable
among the Peasants of France, and those of Picardy, who retain very
much of Antiquity, which seems to be agreeable with the manner of
speech among the Ancient French, who delighted to shorten and
contract their words as much as possible, that they might make up a
Language altogether as free as their humour, some of the most remote
of these would instead of Ker pronounce Cher by a change of that firm
and surly letter into one more easy and soft as we yet find it Customary
in the remains of some of the Ancient Romans, and then after all by the
turn of a Vowel into a Dipthong, from Cher is form'd Choir, which
now begins to be out of date altho its Composit dechoir be still of
plausible and commendable use. Thus 'tis that Cadere, Cader, Caer,
Car, Ker, Cher, Choir, and Dechoir make up but one intire chain and
connexion, yet all to very little purpose if any one of the degrees by
chance should have been wanting.