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f(> Of the Language
And indeed there is as great incongruity in all the reft of the words as in
theSe, So that this Opinion is not only foolifh , but ridiculous. And neither
is the other, which pretends they famed a Language to themfelves,
grounded upon any greater troth then this former. For first why Should they on!y
have changed fome words and not all ? And then thefe words which do
agree ire both Languages are not the names of things lefs known, or not
So ordinarily uSed, as other things , but of fuch as were as common as life,
light, or breathing: wherefore I am clearly of the other opinion, and do
beleive that thefe differing words areas much Finnonick as any of the rest.
But they <#ho from the difference of thefe words infer the independency
of the Speeches , do not at all confider that, then which there is nothing
more co mute n and incident to Languages, to be changed and altered
according to the times, and fo much the more by how much the People have
greater commerce with other Nations. And this is plain from the example
of the Ijlanders and Norwegians-, for that the JJlanders fprung from the
Norwegians is by the Hiftories of both Nations made fo clear that no man
can doubt of it. But now the Ijlanders ufe many words which thofe of
Norway are quite ignorant of; and yet I hope no man will tfiencefay that
the ijlanders have a Language wholly independent and different from that
of Norway : for theone living by themfelves , and having little or no dealings
with other People, do to this day keep entire the fame Language which
they first brought, and which they received down from their ancestors: but
it was quite otherwife with the Norwegians, who together with their
Empire loft alfo their ancient Language. The fame feems to he the cafe of the
Finlanders, who being brought under the Jurifdiftion of others, and holding
more frequent commerce with their neighbours, loft much of their ancient
manner of fpeaking, which the Laplanders on the contrary living a more
folitary life, it is probable, do ftill keep uncorrupt. Wherefore it is no
wonder if in their language we meet with many words, which compared with
thofe of the modern Finlanders, feem to have nothing of likenefs; tho
happily one that is well skilled in the dialed and propriety of the
Finno-nick Language, will find enough to make him conjecture that there are
many words which, as they are now ufed feem quite different, yet are very
agreeable in the original. And this is likewife the common fate of other
languages, as for example of the German, in which a little too rafhly the learned
Olaus Wormius in his literatura Runica, as he (falls it, Cap. 27, hath taken
notice of fo great a difference. For in thefe daies not only r.ach, but effter
is ufed, as may appear affterred, afterdam 8ic. And fo likewife the
Germans ufe not only Geficht, but alfo Antlitxj, not only Per ft and, but
Ver-nunfft; and as well effen, anfanten , Schuff, Alter, Gtfengnu, aujj’ihun, Bett,
Dopff\ &c. as , As , beginnen , ieimen , uralt, haffte, entdeckf n , L&gerflad,
locken, in all which they agree with the ancient Germans. In my opinion
therefore the difference of a few words, is not authority enough to prove
that the Laplanders in ancient times had a peculiar language. But it Shews
rather that they are not all of the fame antiquity, but that fome came from
Finland longer ago, who brought thofe obsolete words v ith them, and fome
of later daies, who now ufe the new; and this I think to be the best
account of the Language of the Laplanders. Of which this alfo is obfervable,
that it doth not in all places alike agree with it felf, but hath its feveral
different
J
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