Part 2

Alaska, or Aliaska, a peninsula. The language in these instances is a branch of the Eskimo.

Athabaska (Atapescow of Malte-Brun), lake and river. McKenzie says that the word means, in the Knistenaux language, a flat, low, swampy country, liable to inundations (edit. 4to., p. 122.). Here I repeat the question, is the word vernacular, or only adopted? In such vocabularies as I have seen, there is nothing bearing the slightest relationship to it. In one given by Dr. Latham (_Varieties of Man_, &c., pp. 208-9.), water, in the Chepewyan, is _tone_, and river, _tesse_.

Itaska, the small lake whence the Mississippi has its origin. The languages prevalent in the adjacent country would be the Sioux, and the Chippeway branch of the Algonquino.

Wapiscow, river. Language, Cree?

Nebraska, "The Shallow River," said to be the name of the Platte in the Sioux language.

Mochasko, "Always full;" another river so called in the Sioux. Query, Are these two vernacular? Watapan is river in that language. {489}

Oanoska is a Sioux word, meaning "The Great Avenue or Stretch;" but whether it applies to a river I have forgotten. The quotation is from Long's _Expedit. to St. Peter's River_, vol. i. p 339., to which I have not access just now. Atamaska and Madagaska are two names of which I can give no account, for the same reason as stated above at Maska.

Arthabaska is (or was) a very swampy township so named, lying south of the St Lawrence.

Maskinonge (also the name of a fish) in which the sound occurs, although not as a termination, is a seigneurie on the north bank of the St Lawrence, of which the part near the river is so low that it is inundated frequently. A river of the same name runs through this seigneurie. Both the foregoing are in the country where the Iroquois language prevailed.

Zoraska, or Zawraska, name of a river somewhere between Quebec and James' Bay, of which I know nothing more, having only heard it spoken of by moose-hunters. Probably it is in a country where the language would be the Montagnard.

Yamaska, a river on the south side of the St. Lawrence, having much marshy ground about it, particularly near its junction with the Grand River.

Kamouraska, or Camouraska, islands in the St. Lawrence below Quebec, taking their name from a seigneurie on the mainland; a level plain surrounded by hills, and dotted all over with mounds. Bouchette says,--

"D'après la position, l'apparence, et l'exacte ressemblance de ces espèces d'îles en terre-firme avec celles de Camouraska, entre lesquelles et le rivage le lit de la rivière est presqu'à sec à la marée basse, le naturaliste sera fortement porté à croire que ce qui forme à présent le continent était, à une époque quelconque, submergé par les vagues immenses du St Laurent, et que les élévations en question formaient des îles, ou des rochers exposés à l'action de l'eau," &c.--_Description de Bas-Canada, &c._, p. 551.

There can be no doubt, if _aska_ relate to water, that this district is appropriately named.

We may presume the language prevalent here to have been the Algonquin, since the inhabitants, when first visited by Europeans, were either the Micmac or Abenaqui, both tribes of that great family.

Still further eastward, flowing from Lake Temisconata into the River St. John, we find the Madawaska, in a country where the language was either the Abenaqui, or a dialect of the Huron, said to be spoken by the Melicite Indians of the St. John. Aska does not occur again in this part of North America, as far as I call ascertain; but on looking southward it does so, and under similar circumstances, viz. associated with water.

Tabasca, or Tobasco (for it is written both ways), a country on the borders of Yucatan, described by the conquerors as difficult to march through, on account of numerous pools of water and extensive swamps. Clavigero says the present name was given by the Spaniards; but I know of no Spanish word at all resembling it, therefore presume they must have adopted the native appellation. The language was, and perhaps is, the Maya.

Tarasca; name of a people inhabiting the country of Mechouacan, celebrated for its numerous fountains of fine water. Language appears to have been Mexican. (See Clavigero, vol. i. p. 10., edit. 4to., Cullen's _Trans._; and Dr. Prichard's _Phys. Hist._, &c., vol. v. p. 340.)

The mention of Tarasca reminds one of Tarascon, also written Tarasca. Two instances occur in the country of Celtic Gaul; both on rivers: the one on the Rhone, the other on the Arriège.

Having for the present finished with America, one is naturally led to inquire whether _asca_ occurs in other parts of the world, in like manner associated with water. Before doing so, however, I would observe that Thompson, in his _Essay on Etymologies_, &c., p. 10., remarks that "The Gothic termination _sk_, the origin of our _ish_, the Saxon _isk_, signifying _assimilated_, _identified_, is used in all dialects, to the very shores of China," &c. He instances "Tobolsk" and "Uvalsk." If, then, it be true that _[=a]_ and _[=a]b_ are primitive sounds denoting water in many languages, may we not here have a combination of _[=a]_ and _sk_?

But to proceed. Malte Brun mentions a city in Arabia called "Asca," one of the places sacked by the expedition under Elius Gallus (_Précis de la Géographie_, &c., vol. i. p. 179.). Generally speaking, Arabia is not abounding in waters; but that very circumstance renders celebrated, more or less, every locality where they do abound and are pure. The city, therefore, might have been notable for its walls and fountains of pure water.

Aska is the name of a river in Japan, remarkable for its great depth, and for frequently changing its course (Golownin, vol. iii. p. 149.).

In north-eastern Asia we find a river called after the Tongouse, _Tongousca_. Query, Tungouse-asca? and, following up Thompson's examples before mentioned, we may name Yakutsk, Irkutsk, Ochotsk, Kamtchatka, &c., all intimately connected with water. Then there is Kandalask, a gulf of the White Sea; Tchesk, another; Kaniska-Zemblia, an island, &c. In Spain, Huesca is on the river Barbato. The two Gradiskas in Hungary, &c. are the one on the Sâve, the other on the Lisonzo.

Zaleski (Pereslav) is seated on a lake; but Malte-Brun says the name means "au-delà des bois." This may or may not be the case. The sound is here, and in connexion with water. Pultusk is nearly surrounded by water, the Narew. Askersan, in Sweden, stands on a lake. Gascon, {490} says Rafinesque, means "beyond the sea" (_American Nations_, &c., No. 2. p. 41.).

Madagascar. Curious the similarity between this name of an island and the American names Madagaska and Madawaska. By the way, I forgot to notice of this last, that Captain Levinge, in his _Echoes from the Back Woods_, &c., vol. i. p. 150., derives it from Madawas (Micmac), a "porcupine;" whilst _The Angler in Canada_ (Lanman), p. 229., says that it means "never frozen," because part of the river never freezes. Which is right?

Tcherkask. Every one knows that the capital of the Don Cossacks is eminently a water city. According to Pallas, the Circassians (Tcherkesses) once were located in the Crimea. They may have extended their influence to the Don, and the name in question may be a synthetic form of Tcherkesse-aska.

Damasca (Latinised Damascus) is famed all over the East for its waters. The name of the ancient city was Damas, "Le Demechk, ou Chamel-Dimichk, des Orientaux" (Malte-Brun, viii. 215.).

The modern city is said to be called Damas, or I Domeschk, though it seems more generally known as El Sham. Bryant says it was called by the natives _Damasec_ and _Damakir_, the latter meaning the city (Caer?) of Dams, or of Adama (_Mythology_, &c., vol. i. p. 69.). Can it have once been Adama, or Dama-asca?

In Great Britain we have rivers and lakes called severally Esk, Exe or Isca, Axe, and Usk.

Axe seems to have been written _Asca_ at one time; for Lambarde gives Ascanmynster as the Saxon name of Axminster. Hence, also, we may infer that Axholme Island was once Ascanholme. The Exe was probably Esk, _i.e._ water, or river: it certainly was Uske. Iska is the British Isk Latinised by Ptolemy; for Camden says Exeter was called by the Welsh _Caerisk_, &c. Usk or Uske was written _Osca_ by Gyraldo Camb. (See Lambarde.)

Kyleska, or Glendha, ferry in Sutherlandshire. Kyle-aska? Kyles (Ir.), a frith or strait.

Ask occurs frequently as the first syllable of names in England, and such places will be almost invariably found connected with water. Camden mentions a family of distinguished men in Richmondshire named Aske, from whom perhaps some places derive their names, as _p. ex._ the Askhams, Askemoore, &c. Askrigg, however, being in the neighbourhood of some remarkable waterfalls (Camden), may have reference to them.

Now, from places let us turn to things, first noticing that _usk_, in modern Welsh, means river. In Irish, _uisce_ or _uiske_ is water. In Hebrew and Chaldee, _hisca_ is to wash or to drink. (See Introduction to Valancey's _Irish Dictionary_.) In the same we find _ascu_ (ancient Irish), a water-serpent or dog; _iasc_, fish; _easc_ (Irish), water, same as _esk_. Chalmers, in "Caledonia," &c., has easc or esc (Gael.), water; _easc lan_ (Gael.), the full water.

Askalabos (Greek), a newt or water reptile; and asker, askard, askel, ask, and esk, in provincial English, a water-newt. (See _Archaic Dictionary_.)

Masca, the female sea-otter; so called by the Russians.

Askalopas (Greek), a woodcock or snipe, _i.e._ a swamp-bird.

As I said before, there are few words in any of the Indian languages of North America in which the sound _ask_ occurs; at least as far as my limited acquaintance with them goes. The only two I can quote just now are both in the Chippeway. One only has direct reference to water; perhaps the other may indirectly. They are, _woyzask_, rushes, water-plants; _mejask_, herb, or grass. The only grass the forest Indians are likely to be acquainted with is that growing in the natural meadows along the river banks, which are occasionally met with, and these in general are pretty swampy.

We may wind up with our _cask_ and _flask_. I could have added much more, but fear already to have exceeded what might hope for admittance in your pages; therefore I will only say that, in offering these remarks, I insist on nothing, and stand ready to submit to any correction.

A. C. M.

Exeter.

* * * * *

LEGENDS OF THE COUNTY CLARE.

About two miles from the village of Corofin, in the west of Clare, are the ruins of the Castle of Ballyportree, consisting of a massive square tower surrounded by a wall, at the corners of which are smaller round towers: the outer wall was also surrounded by a ditch. The castle is still so far perfect that the lower part is inhabited by a farmer's family; and in some of the upper rooms are still remaining massive chimney-pieces of grey limestone, of a very modern form, the horizontal portions of which are ornamented with a quatrefoil ornament engraved within a circle, but there are no dates or armorial bearings: from the windows of the castle four others are visible, none of them more than two miles from each other; and a very large cromlech is within a few yards of the castle ditch. The following legend is related of the castle:--When the Danes were building the castle (the Danes were the great builders, as Oliver Cromwell was the great destroyer of all the old castles, abbeys, &c. in Ireland),--when the Danes were building the Castle of Ballyportree, they collected workmen from all quarters, and forced them to labour night and day without stopping for rest or food; and according as any of them fell down from exhaustion, his body was thrown upon the wall, which was built up over him! When {491} the castle was finished, its inhabitants tyrannised over the whole country, until the time arrived when the Danes were finally expelled from Ireland. Ballyportree Castle held out to the last, but at length it was taken after a fierce resistance, only three of the garrison being found alive, who proved to be a father and his two sons; the infuriated conquerors were about to kill them also, when one of then proposed that their lives should be spared, and a free passage to their own country given them, on condition that they taught the Irishmen how to brew the famous ale from the heather--that secret so eagerly coveted by the Irish, and so zealously guarded by the Danes. At first neither promises nor threats had any effect on the prisoners, but at length the elder warrior consented to tell the secret on condition that his two sons should first be put to death before his eyes, alleging his fear, that when he returned to his own country, they might cause him to be put to death for betraying the secret. Though somewhat surprised at his request, the Irish chieftains immediately complied with it, and the young men were slain. Then the old warrior exclaimed, "Fools! I saw that your threats and your promises were beginning to influence my sons; for they were but boys, and might have yielded: but now the secret is safe, your threats or your promises have no effect on me!" Enraged at their disappointment, the Irish soldiers hewed the stern northman in pieces, and the coveted secret is still unrevealed.

In the South of Scotland a legend, almost word for word the same as the above, is told of an old castle there, with the exception that, instead of Danes, the old warrior and his sons are called Pechts. After the slaughter of his sons the old man's eyes are put out, and he is left to drag on a miserable existence: he lives to an immense old age, and one day, when all the generation that fought with him have passed away, he hears the young men celebrating the feats of strength performed by one of their number; the old Pecht asks for the victor, and requests him to let him feel his wrist; the young man feigns compliance with his request, but places an iron crow-bar in the old man's hand instead of his wrist; the old Pecht snaps the bar of iron in two with his fingers, remarking quietly to the astounded spectators, that "it is a gey bit gristle, and has not much pith in it yet." The story is told in the second volume of Chambers's _Edinburgh Journal_, first series, I think; but I have not the volume at hand to refer to. The similarity between the two legends is curious and interesting.

FRANCIS ROBERT DAVIES.

* * * * *

ARCHAIC WORDS.

(Vol. vii., p. 400., &c.)

The following list of words, which do not appear in Mr. Halliwell's _Dictionary of Archaic Words_, may form some contribution, however small, to the enlargement of that and of some of our more comprehensive English dictionaries. It falls in with the desire already expressed in "N. & Q.;" and, if the present paper seem worth inserting, may be followed by another. In some few cases, though the word does appear in Mr. Halliwell's columns, an authority is deficient; instances having as it were turned up, and in rather uncommon sources, which seemed occasionally worth supplying. It must be observed that the explanations given are, in some instances, mere conjectures, and await more certain and accurate interpretation.

_Aege_, age. _The Festyvall_, fol. cxii. recto, edit. 1528.

_Advyse_, to view attentively. Strype's _Memorials_, under MARY, ch. xxviii. p. 234., folio, or vol. iv. p. 384. edit. 1816.

_Apause_, to check. Foxe, _Acts and Monuments_, vii. 647.; and Merchant's _Second Tale_, 2093.

_Assemble_, to resemble. Bale's _Image of both Churches_, Part II. p. 378., edit. 1849.

_Beclepe_, to embrace. _The Festyvall_, fol. xxxvi. recto, edit. 1528: "The ymage--becleped the knyght about the necke, and kyssed hym."

_Bluck_, ...(?) "So the true men shall be hunted and blucked."--_The Festyvall_, fol. xxvi. recto.

_Boystously_, roughly. "Salome--boystously handled our Lady."--_The Festyvall_, fol. lxvii. verso.

_Brince_, to introduce, hand out, _propino_. "Luther first brinced to Germany the poisoned cup of his heresies."--Harding in Bishop Jewel's _Works_, vol. iv. p. 335., edit. Oxford, 1848.

_Bussing._ "Without the blind bussings of a Papist, may no sin be solved."--Bishop Bale's _Image of both Churches on the Revelation_, ch. xiii. p. 431., edit. Cambridge, 1849.

_Croked._ A curious application of this word occurs in _The Festyvall_, fol. cxxviii. recto: "A croked countenance."

_Daying_, arbitration. Jewel's _Works_, i. 387. See Dr. Jelf's note, _in loc._

_Dedeful_, operative? "This vertue is dedefull to all Chrysten People."--_The Festyvall_, fol. clxxii. recto.

_Do_, to do forth; meaning, to proceed with, to go on with, occurs in _The Festyvall_. fol. viii. verso.

_Domageable_, injurious. _The Festyvall_, fol. cxi. recto: "How domageable it is to them which use for to saye in theyr bargens and marchaundyses, makynge to the prejudyce--of their soules."

_Dyssclaunderer_, a calumniator. "To stone hym (Stephen) to deth as for a dyssclaunderer."--_The Festyvall_, fol. lxx. verso.

_Enclense_, to make clean. _The Festyvall_, fol. lxxxviii. recto.

_Enforcement_, effort? Erasmus' _Enchiridion_, 1533, Rule IV. ch. xii.

{492} _Engrease_, to overfeed. "Riches, wherewithal they are fatted and engreased like swine."--Foxe's _Acts and Monuments_, v. 615. edit. 1843.

_Ensignement_, ... (?) _The Festyvall_, fol. cliv. recto: "And whan all the people come so togyder at this ensignement."

_Entrecounter_, to oppose. Brook's _Sermon_, 1553, quoted in Foxe's _Acts and Monuments_, vol. viii. p. 782.

_Fele._ An application of this word may be quoted, partaking of a Grecism, unless we mistake: "And whan the people _felte_ the smell therof."--_The Festyvall_, fol. c. recto.

_Flytterynge_: "lyghtnynge, and not flytterynge."--_The Festyvall_, fol. xliv. verso, edit. 1528.

NOVUS.

* * * * *

Minor Notes.

_Inscriptions on Buildings._--The following inscriptions are taken from buildings connected with the hospital of Spital-in-the-Street, co. Lincoln.

On the chapel:

"FVI A^O D[=N]I 1398 } NON FVI 1594 } DOM DEI & PAVPERVM. SVM 1616 }

QVI HANC DEVS HVNC DESTRVET."

On the wall of a cottage, formerly one of the alms-houses:

"DEO ET DIVITIBVS. A^O D[=N]I 1620."

On the wall of a building now used as a barn, but formerly the Court-house, in which the Quarter Sessions for the parts of Lindsey were formerly held, before their transfer to Kirton in Lindsey:

"FIAT IVSTITIA. 1619." "HÆC DOMVS DIT, AMAT, PVNIT, CONSERVAT, HONORAT, EQVITIAM, PACEM, CRIMINA, JVRA, BONOS."

L. L. L.

_Epitaphs._--The following specimen of rural monumental Latin is copied from a tombstone in the churchyard of Henbury, Gloucestershire:

"Hic jacet Requiesant in pace, HENRICUS PARSONES. Qui obtit XXV. die Junes, Anno Dominii MDCCCXLV, Ætatis suæ XX. Cujus animia proprietur Christus."

The following is from the churchyard of Kingston-Seymour, Somersetshire:

"J. H. He was universally beloved in the circle of His acquaintance; but united In his death the esteem of all, Namely, by bequeathing his remains."

J. K. R. W.

_Numbers._--We occasionally see calculations of how often a given number of persons may vary their position at a table, and each time produce a fresh arrangement. I believe the result may be arrived at by progressive multiplication, as thus:

Twice 1 2 3 --- Giving for three persons 6 changes. 4 --- Giving for four persons 24 changes. 5 --- Giving for five persons 120 changes. 6 --- Giving for six persons 720 changes,

and so on. Probably also change-ringing is governed by the same mode of calculation.

J. D. ALLCROFT.

CELTIC LANGUAGE.--As _fraus latet in generalibus_ in linguistics as in law, I beg to suggest that, instead of using the word _Celtic_, the words _Gaelic_, _Cymbric_, _Breton_, _Armorican_, _Welsh_, _Irish_, &c. might be properly appropriated. The mother Celtic is lost,--her remains are to be found only in the names of mountains, rivers, and countries; and our knowledge of this tongue is derived from an acquaintance with her two principal daughters, the Gaelic and Cymbric (=Kymric). The Gaelic tongue has been driven by Germanic invasion into Ireland (Erse), and into the Highlands of Scotland (Gaelic). The Cymbric tongue first took refuge in Belgium, known afterwards as Breton, and still lives as Welsh and Bas-Breton, which (and not the Gaelic) is nearest of kin in some words to the Latin and Italian.

To understand this subject, the profound induction of Eichhoff must be studied carefully.

T. J. BUCKTON.

Lichfield.

_Illustration of Longfellow_--"_God's Acre._"--Longfellow's very beautiful little poem, commencing:

"I like that ancient Saxon phrase, which calls The burial-ground God's acre."

is doubtless familiar to all your readers. It may interest some of them to know, that the "ancient Saxon phrase" has not yet become obsolete. I read the words "GOTTES ACKER," when at Basle last autumn, inscribed over the entrance to a modern cemetery, just outside the St. Paul's Gate of that city.

W. SPARROW SIMPSON.

* * * * *

{493}

Queries.

JOHN LOCKE.

I shall be much obliged if any gentleman who has the power of access to the registers of Wrington, Somerset, or who may otherwise take an interest in the descent of John Locke the philosopher, will kindly assist me to prove that the parents of that eminent man were as supposed to be in the accompanying pedigree.