obferve, that our Morlacchi are called Vlajfi, that is, noble or potent,
for’the fame rqafon that the body o f the nation is called
Slavic which means glorious ; that the word Vlah has nothing to
do with Latin, and though it be the root o f the name Valacchi,
i t is fo, becaufe, notwithftanding the colonies planted by Trajan,
the general population o f Dacia confided, as every body
"knows, of people, who fpoke the Sclavonian language; and
thofe who came there, in after ages, did the fame. I f the Slavi,
when conquerors, had given, or left a name to the conquered
people., they certainly would not have given or left one, which
dignifies nobility, or power; for they o f neceflity muft have uu-
derftood it, being a pure original Sclavoian word : And perhaps
Lucius was in bad humour with the Morlacchi, when he laboured
to vilify them even in the etymology o f the name they bear.
It is very true, that many -words of Latin original are found in
the dialed! o f the Illyrians, who inhabit the iflandsj fuch as,
falbun, plavo, Jlap, vino, capa, rsjfa, tepo, vdip, fparta, Jkrinya,
lu g ; which fignify, fand, yellow, f o i l o f water, wine, cape,
dew, tepid, blind, bajket, chejl, wood-, and are evidently derived
from fabulum, jiavus, lapfas, vinum, caput, ros, tepidus, lippus,
Jporta, fcrineum, lignum : yet from thefe, and many more which
might be eafily added, I do npt think it can be reafonably concluded,
that the Morlacchi o f our days are defcendants, in a
right line from the Romans, who fettled in Dalmatia. It is
the common defedt o f writers on the origin o f nations, to draw
general confequences from trivial and particular data, which depend
very often on cafual and tranfitory circumftances. I am
fully perfuaded, that the inveftigation of languages would lead to a
difcovery o f the origin o f the nations by whom they were fpoken;
but I am alfo convinced, that, to prevent grofs miftakes, the
mod acute criterion is neceffary, in diftinguifhing adventitious
from primitive words. T he Illyrick language, which is widely
fpread
fpread from the Adriatick to the ocean, has a very great number
o f roots like thofe of the Greek, and fome are to be found,
even among the numerical words, whichiGannot be denied to be
indigenous. There are alfo many ’Selavoilian terms perfectly
Greek, fuch as, fpugga, trapeza, catrida,■ Cranfpofed, without
any material difference, from- <moyyot, Tpâorè^fo Y e t
the frequency o f grecifms, and the analogy ©f the alphabet, are.
by no means fufficient t6 induce mb to affërt, -that the vaft Sclavonian
nation is defcended from the Greeks,' who Were confined
to a narrow tradt ; nor even, though more likely, that in far dif-
tant ages,, the:' Sclavdnians had invaded and peopled Greece.
"Very long and laborious fin dies would be requifite. to clear up
fuch'ancient fadts ; nor is it, perhaps, poffible.
A learned Engliihman takes notice- o f the analogy between
the- Englifh and Illyrick tongues, ft- and, indeed, not without
fom e reafon ; for the words Jlina, mefo, med, bijkup, brate, f i f -
tra, Jin, funise, ’mliko, fnigh; voda, greb, are not unlike the
E n g l i fh , Jlone, jlejh, mead, bijhop, brother, JiJlery Jon, fu n , milk,-
Jnow,. watery grave -, but it’ rerOains1 to be examined, whether
thefe words were -not derived from fome dialedt o f the ancient
northern Celti, and brought* Over by the Saxons into that-noble
iiland. However, at all'events;. I would not pretend to decide:
on fo ôbfcure a fubjedt, uniefs I perceived a palpable refem-
blance between the body, o f one language and another ; for many,
words o f fimilar found and meaning may. happen to be found indifferent
languages,, although the origin o f the refpedtive people
have no manner-of cohiiedtion. For inftance, the Italian has a;
confiderable mixture 6f exotic words, and yet it cannot be Tea-
H; ' • fonably/
f Brèrewdod, de fcrut, Religi