Notes and Queries, Number 30, May 25, 1850 | Page 8

is not "derived

immediately from the German," and "has not been adopted bodily into
our language;" that the English "new" and German "neu" have,
however, of course the same origin, their common root being widely
spread in other languages, as [Greek: neos], Gr.; _norus_, Lat.; _neuf_,
Fr., &c.; that "news" is a noun of plural form and plural meaning, like
_goods_, _riches_, &c.; that its peculiar and frequent use is quite
sufficient to account for its having come to be used as a singular noun
("riches," by the way, may be prefixed sometimes to a singular verb, as
"riches is a cause of corruption"); that Mr. HICKSON might as well say
that "goods" is derived immediately from "gutes," the genitive of "gut;"
and "riches" from "reiches," the genitive of "reich:" and also that if
"_s_" in "goods," and "_es_" in "riches" are signs of the plural, "we
should have, as the Germans have, either extant or obsolete," the
"good," "the rich," (not that I quite understand this part of "Mr.
HICKSON's" argument): and, lastly, I assert that I believe that _Neues_,
in the phrase "Was giebt's Neues?" is not the genitive, but the
nominative neuter, so that the phrase is to be literally translated "What
is there new?"
As regards the derivation of "News," I wish you had allowed the
question to rest as it stood after the sensible remarks of "A.E.B." (No.
23. p. 369.). Pray excuse me, Sir, for expressing a hope that you will
ponder well before you again allow us to be puzzled on so plain a
subject, and give circulation and your sanction to paradoxes, even
though coming from one so entitled to attention as "Mr. HICKSON."
The early communication between the English and German languages,
of which "Mr. HICKSON" puts forward the derivation of "news" from
"neues" as an instance, may be an interesting and profitable subject of
inquiry; but as I think he has been singularly unfortunate in the one
instance, so I do not think him particularly happy in his other. I see no
further resemblance between Heywood's "Song in praise of his
Mistress," and the early German poem, than what might arise from
treatment of the same and a very common subject.
I am not enough of an etymologist to give you the root of the word
"noise." But my faith in "Mr. HICKSON" in this capacity is not strong
enough to lead me to believe, on his dictum, that "news" and "noise"
are the same word; and when, pursuing his fancy about "neues," he
goes on to say that "noise" is "from a dialect from which the modern

German pronunciation of the dipthong is derived," I fear his
pronunciation of German is faulty, if he pronounces eu in "Neues" like
oi in "noise."
[We differ from our correspondent on this point, and think that here, at
all events, Mr. HICKSON has the advantage of the argument.]
I beg to repeat that for "Mr. HICKSON" I feel great respect. If he knew
my name, he would probably know nothing about me; but I happen
{488} to know of him, what perhaps, some of your readers do not, that
he has unostentatiously rendered many considerable services not only
to literature but to our social and political interests. In my humble
opinion, his recent essay in your columns on The Taming of the Shrew
is a contribution to our literary history which you may be proud of
having published. But I feel that I cannot too strongly protest against
his derivation of "News."
CH.
* * * * *
REPLIES TO MINOR QUERIES.
_Dr. Whichcot and Lord Shaftesbury_ (No. 24. p. 382., No. 27. p.
444.).--I am obliged to "COLL. REGAL. SOCIUS" for his notice of my
inquiry. The Lord Chamberlain and Chancellor of Cambridge
University mentioned in Lord Lauderdale's letter to Dr. Whichcot, is
the Earl of Manchester. Shaftesbury was never either Lord
Chamberlain or Chancellor of Cambridge.
I may mention that Whichcot's intimacy with Lord Shaftesbury would
probably have been brought about by his being incumbent of the
church of St. Lawrence Jewry, Shaftesbury having his London house in
the latter part of his life in Aldersgate Street.
If it is not committing unpardonable trespass on that useful part of your
publication in which books and odd volumes are asked for, I will go on
to say that I should be glad to have a copy of the volume of Whichcot's
Sermons (1698) which the third Lord Shaftesbury edited, at a
reasonable price.
CH.
Elizabeth and Isabel (No. 27. p. 439.).--Mr. Thomas Duffus Hardy, in
his evidence on the Camoys Peerage case (June 18. 1838, Evidence, p.
351.) proved that the names of Isabella and Elizabeth were in ancient
times used indifferently, and particularly in the reigns of Edward I. and

Edward III. Mr.