Publisher's Synopsis
Excerpt from An Introduction to Greek and Latin Etymology
Indo-european speech has appeared at Gottingen. The results are ready for application to particular languages, to serve as the basis for new investigation, for which they are indispensable. But these results are not sufficient for the Greek or the Latin etymo logist. Together with the general science of comparative philology, we require special sciences of the special languages. These must be studied for themselves, but in the light of the general science. Minute and patient investigation of the laws of each several lan guage is needed now as much as ever; but it must be made in a wider spirit. Every language has varied from the prototype: and for the most part varied in its own peculiar way. There are some general laws which regulate change of sound in all languages these are given by the general science. But there are other changes which are found only in one or two languages: and these must be carefully traced within the province of the particular lan guage. Above all they must never be assumed in one language because they are found in another. A phonetic change is not necessary in Latin because it is found in Greek: or in Greek be cause it occurs in Sanskrit: though the changes of Sanskrit may throw, and actually have thrown, most valuable light on those of other languages. As I said above, each language must be studied for and in itself in the light of Comparative Philology: and this is just what Curtius and Corssen have done for Greek and Latin'.
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