Ugly. "Ill tempered, bad," as "he is an ugly fellow," i. e. of a bad disposition, wicked. New England. To Variate. A word used by the clergy, as "variate of thy mercies according to our circunstances." It is not English. *Vine. Any creeping plant." In England it is restricted to the plant that bears the grape. *To Whip. "To beat," as "my dog can whip yours." Vulgarism. Southern States. In the above enumeration, we have designedly omitted the immense catalogue of words contained in Pickering's vocabulary, which are still used in England, in the Provinces or are employed in good society. We have confined ourselves chiefly, as we proposed, to those which have either been coined here, or are employed in a new signification. The reputed Americanisms will engage us next. See page 488. R.D.. ROMAN PROVERBS. A writer in a recent number of "Blackwood's Magazine," June 1829, has given a few verses from the "Trinity of Wisdom" whence the well known Italian proverb of "Aspettare e non vedire" has been borrowed. This "trinity" consists of a number of verses. Of these the following, to which we have added a translation, are the best. In some of them excellent moralities are conveyed; others are humorous only; but most of them would seem to be founded in a practical knowledge of human nature: La trinita della Sapienza. Tre sorte di persone sono odiose: Il ricco avaro, Tre sorte d'uomini da fuggire : Cantori, Vecchi, Innamorati. Tre cose imbrattono la casa : Galline, Cani, Donne. Tre cose conservano l'amico; Lodarlo in assenza, Ajutarlo ne' bisogni. Tre cose sono desiderabili; Tre cose da morire : The trinity of wisdom. Three sorts of persons are odious: Three sorts of men avoid : Three things dirty a house: Dogs, Women. Three things preserve a friend: Praise him when absent, Three things are enough to destroy. UNIVERSITY INTELLIGENCE. Students of the University-The actual number of matriculates in the University is greater than it has ever been in any period of a former session, except of one. PUBLISHED BY F. CARR. University Press.-JAMES ALEXANDER, Printer. AND JOURNAL OF BELLES LETTRES, ARTS, &c. Published every Wednesday.-Terms, five dollars per annum, to be paid in advance. "POSCENTES VARIO MULTUM DIVERSA PALATO. -Hor. Lib. ii. Ep. 2. No. 32.-VOL. 1. UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA. JANUARY 20, 1830. AMERICANISMS. (Continued from page 480.) "Words are the people's but there is a choice of them to be made." BEN JONSON's Discoveries. We have now investigated those words and expressions, which may fairly be considered as having originated in this country; some having been coined and others having received an extension of signification. Many of the words and expressions admitted into the catalogue are, as has been already remarked, probably local, whilst others are mere vulgarisms; so that the number of Americanisms in general use is really very restricted. Taking the vocabulary of Pickering as our guide the catalogue of reputed Americanisms is much more extensive. In looking over the remarks, which have been made by various English Pseudo critics on this subject, the ignorance which they display, regarding their own tongue, is surprising. To distinguish correctly the words, which are of American origin, from those which are not, requires, indeed, an extensive acquaintance, not only with the language as now used by the most approved writers, but also with its condition at former periods; as well as with the various provincialisms which exist in England and those of Ireland and Scotland; into these we shall now inquire; first of all, enumerating the "reputed Americanisms" which are Provincialisms; and afterwards those which are 44 VOL. I. either in common use in England or have become obsolete. REPUTED AMERICANISMS. English, Scotch and Irish Provincial isms. Attack'd-ed. A vulgarism in the United States. This word, we have previously seen, (Museum p. 214) is a common Cockneyism. All the participles so formed, sufficiently betray their origin. Awful. "Disagreeable, ugly"-New England. We have heard the word employed in this sense in Scotland. This was Be. Mr. Pickering has noticed that be was formerly much used in New England instead of am and are. at one time good English, and is still largely Provincial. We have already remarked, at page 238, under the "Dialects of the West England," that the verb to be retains its primitive form there. Instead of I am &c. I be, thou beest, or bist, thee beest, we be, you be, they be, are constantly heard. War for was and were, likewise runs through all the persons. "I war just a going" is in the mouth of every Somersetshire rustic and is common in many counties. Bonnyclabber. "Sour milk." This word is, we believe, not used in any part of England. In Ireland, according to Mr. Todd, it means 66 sour butter milk." It seems to have been formerly English. Thus old Ben, "It is against my freehold, my inheritance To drink such balderdash as bonnyclabber New Inn. And Swift We scorn for want of talk, to jabber Of parties o'er our bonnyclabber. Brief. Probably a corruption of rife. "Prevalent, common, rife." This was formerly employed in England, in the same sense in which we use it. It is now provincial. We have often heard it in the north of England. open chimney." The verb "to crock," to black with soot, is used also in Essex. In the the west of England, crock is the name of a bellied pot, either of iron or other metal, for the purpose of boiling food, so called perhaps on account of its being "crocked" over. Docity. "Quick comprehension." It is a Londonism, and according to Mr. Pickering remarks, that a corres-Grose a provincial in Gloucestershire. It pondent informs him, that brief is used is manifestly a corruption from docility. by the illiterate in Virginia, as well as in Drouth. "Drought." Mr. Webster the northern states, but only in speaking has gone into a laboured defence of this of diseases. Mr. Pickering's correspon-word, as being nearer the Anglo Saxon, dent is mistaken. We hear, in Virginia, of the "wind being brief.” drugolie, whence it originates, than the present English spelling and pronunciation. Chunk. "A thick, short, block of Height was unquestionably spelled wood." This is used in the Southern and and pronounced by Milton Inghth, and Eastern counties of England, and is pro- the Saxon termination is equally in th, bably corrupted from chump. It is uni-hethe, hieth, but no well educated indiversal in this country; and, from the vidual, would now write and pronounce substantive, has been formed the adjec-it so. tive chunky, applied to a dumpy personas "he is a short, chunky man." Clitchy. "Clammy, sticky, glutinous." New England. Clatchy is said to be provincial in the West of England. It is not in the "Observations on some of the dialects of the West of England" by Mr. Jennings. To compromit. "To commit, expose, hazard." This word, in the sense of "to pledge," is old English. "Compromitting themselves in the name of all their country, to abide and perform all such sentence and awarde, as should by him be giv en." The truth is that, in language, we are eternally compelled to take things as they are, without regard to what they may have been; and he who may wish to carry us back to that which we have long rejected will find but few to accompany him. The word drouth is a provincialism of the west of England, as well as "to drow," to dry. 66 Folks. This word in the sense of persons in one's family" is much used in New England; and is provincial in the North of England. "How are your folks to day? i.e. "How is your family to day?" Pronounced fock it is universal The word is now obsolete in England, haps from Anglo Saxon, fole, family. in Scotland. "How's your fock?" per but it is used in Scotland. Sir T. Elyot, Frough or Frow, "brittle, loose, Spungy" also froughy, This word is used by Evelyn. "That (timber)which grows in gravel is subject to be frow (as they term it, and brittle." It is now not used except in the provinces, in almost all of which it prevails. It is a provincialism of Berkshire and in the northern counties particularly: (See Grose, Ray, Jennings, Tim Bobbin, Brockett-Craven Dialect &c.) Gawky. "A stupid, halfwitted or awkward person." This is provincial in the north of England; and is in all the glossaries of the northern dialects. It has always been used in Scotland, and was probably imported into the northern counties from thence. It is there, however, written and pronounced:-Goukit, Gauckit, Guckit." "Fool goukit chield, sic stuff as that to true; Gin ye believe them, nane will credit you. Morison. It is from Teutonic Geck, a fool. Glut. "A large wooden wedge." New England. Used in the middle counties of England. It is a particular application of the word glut in the sense of any thing that fills up a passage." Gostering or Gaustering-" imperious, boasting." West. This is a provincialism of the north of England, in universal use. pression is provincial in the North of En- Housen. "Houses." This old plural is used in New England. In the west of England and in some of the midland counties they adhere to this old Saxon form. See Dialects of the west of England in Museum p. 237. Hub. The nave of a wheel." Not used in many counties of England. Jag. "A small load." New England. This is a provincialism in Norfolk and Suffolk. Jounce. "A jolt or shake"-as "a jouncing trot" provincial in the same counties. Kedge. "Brisk, in good health and To guess. "To imagine, suppose, spirits"-as "how do you do?" “I am believe." This word, so much used inkedge." Provincial in the same counthe eastern states, as well as expect, reck-ties. on &c., is as local in some of the ties in England. Guess, in these of "suppose," is employed in Derbyshire (Pegge) and it is heard in other parts. Gumption. "Common sense, understanding." This is a common provincialism. It is frequently heard in London, and in the North of England and in Scotland. Togaum, in the north of England, signifies to understand, and gumption or gawmtion is the substantive. It is as old as the Moes. Goth. gaum-jan to perceive. "Sometimes I think it rank presumption In me to claim the muses' gumption." Rev. J. Nicol's Poems. New me coun Keeping room. Lease. A cow lease, that is, a right From this word is formed rumgump-lar to stubble land. tion, having the same signification in Scotland and most parts of England. They need not try thy jokes to fathom, They want rumgumption. Beattie. In Yorkshire-rumgumptious means "forward and pompous.' Heft. "Weight" i.e. of the thing which is heaved. It is not uncommon in one or two of the counties of the south of England. Hither and yon. -New England. Laft. Used by some of the New Links. "Sausages"-New England. ENCYCLOPÆDIA AMERICANA, VOL II. тер бее раз 431 tween BAT and CAT. It deserves the | favorable sentiments, which we expressed of its predecessor; but it has many of the same faults. The rejection of articles, admitted into the German original, has been even more profuse, and there is still more difficulty in accounting for the selection. The biographical department has been dealt with in the most unsparing manner, although the actual amount of biographical sketches may be as great, from the numbers which have been added. Some of these are, however, drawn up very carelessly. We will take that on the present Bishop of London as an example. The writer of that article seems not to have had the slightest idea, that Dr. Blomfield holds any station in the church more dignified than that of chaplain to the Bishop of London. "To the fame" he remarks" which his philological and theological studies procure was indebted, in 1819, for the chaplain to the Bishop of dusium is there, but we have no intimation that such a word as Brentesion or Brentesium ever existed. So likewise we have Bosphorus, a word not to be met with in any antient writer, whilst the genuine name Bosporus is not once alluded to. ON SUPERSTITION.-No. 3. ON SYMPATHY. "For not to rank nor sex confined SCOTT'S Rokeby. Between every portion of the living machine intimate relations exist, which correspond with each other, and carry on a reciprocal intercourse of action. When all these actions harmonize perfectly, health is the result if not disease is the conseonly produce effects on the part to which quence. Hence it is, that impressions not they are directly applied, but on distant organs: and this indirect effect is produced by sympathy. Vegetables exhibit this pro the sensitive plant be stimulated by a burning glass, the whole leaf contracts, and the footstalk drops-when the branches of trees feel the warmth of summer, the sap ascends in the roots; and, even in frost, stem, if a branch be introduced into a hot it will ascend from the roots through the London-a choice which always lls on a man of acknowledged ability being his duty to examine the candidates, previously to their ordination in this diocese. Places of this sort generally lead to high promotions in the church, and B. soon af-perty as well as animals-if a leaflet of ter received the living of St. Botolphs. Since that time he has lived in London, visits in the first circles, and supports an establishment suitable to his income &c." The truth is, Dr. Blomfield was made Bishop of Chester certainly five years ago; and rendered himself somewhat celebrated for his speeches in the house. of Lords on the subject of Catholic emancipation during Mr. Canning's administration; and it is now upwards of twelve months since he was elevated to the very Bishopric, to whose incumbent he was chaplain, at the time referred to in the article. In the fine arts, or what the Germans call Esthetics, the translation is inferior to the original. Sufficient attention is still not paid also to the words &c. of antiquity. If we are to have the corrupted, the editor ought to favor us with the classical names likewise. Brun house. This mysterious consent of parts has given rise to some of the most singular and absurd superstitions that can be imagined. It was believed, for instance, almost universally in the fifteenth century, that an intimate sympathy existed not only between parts of a body forming portions of one whole, but also between any substance that had formed part of a body but was at the time removed from it; that if, for example, a piece of flesh was sliced from the that of a second-the grafted portion would arm of one person and made to uuite to accurately sympathize with the body of which it had previously formed part-undergoing decay and death along with it. |