Ga.
African: a name forAccraorAkra. Zimmermann: “Grammatical Sketch,” 4to, Stuttgart, 1858.SeeAquapim.
GaboonorGabun.
A large class of nativeAfrican.SeeMpongwe.
Gadaba.
Non-Aryan: a language vernacular in the highlands of Gaddapur in Goomsúr or Gúmsúr, Circar of Ganjam.
GadhelicorGaelic.
A dialect ofCeltic, closely allied toIrishandManx; it is spoken in parts of the Highlands of Scotland, and some of the neighbouring islands. Dictys. by Armstrong, McAlpine, Shaw, Macleod, and Dewar, &c., the best being that published by the Highland Society. Grammars by Forbes and Stewart.
Gadi.
A dialect of the Punjab, allied toHindi.
Gafat.
A sub-dialect ofAmharic, spoken in S. Abyssinia. See “Mithridates,” Dr. Beke, &c.
Gah.
A dialect ofMalay, spoken by wild Alfuru of E. Ceram. See Wallace: “Malay A.,” appendix.
Galaio.
A sub-dialect ofPapuan.
GalegoorGallego.
A sub-dialect ofPortuguese, allied to theGallicianof Spain, the same name being applied indifferently to both.
Galela.
A language anterior toMalay, vernacular in Gilolo. Wallace: “Malay A.,” appendix.H. C.
Galgai.
A sub-dialect of the Caucasus, same asIngush.
Galibi.
American: a form of the wordCarib, belonging more especially to French Guiana.
Galilean.
A dialect ofAramaic. See Matth. xxvi., 73.
Galla.
African: spoken by the Gallas,i.e.“mountaineers,” a numerous people in Abyssinia and over a wide extent from the E. coast inwards, and S. till it reaches the Kaffir. See Tutschek: “Dictionary and Grammar,” Munich, 1844-5.
Gallic.
A name for the pre-Roman dialects of France, anciently divided into Gallia Belgica, Celtica or Lugdunensis (i.e.Armorica), Aquitania, and Narbonensis.SeeGaulish.
Gallician.
Language of Gallicia, in N.W. Spain, classed as a sub-dialect ofSpanish. Rodriguez: “Dict. Galligo-Castellano,” Coruña, 1863.SeeGalego.
Gallois.
French name forWelsh.
Galzanen.
American: same asKoltschanen.
Gamamyl,seeQamamyl.
Gaman.
African: same asBuntuku; a dialect ofAshantee.
Gani.
Native dialect of So. Gilolo, an island of the Indian Archipelago. See Wallace: Appdx.
Garangi.
African: dialect of the Soudan. See Bowdich: “Mission to Ashantee.”
Garo.
(1) Language of the Garo or Garrow Hills, E. Bengal.
(2) A dialect of Nipal, allied toBorro. See Robinson’s “Assam,” Calcutta, 1841.
Garu.
A dialect ofBhotorThibetan, also calledGartop. See Gerard’s Vocaby., “Jnl. A. S.,” Calcutta, 1842.
Gascon.
Sub-dialect ofProvençal.
Gasconade.
Nickname for bombastic speech. The name is taken from the Gascons, a people in the S. of France supposed to be given to boasting.R. P. S.
Gauner.
German term for “cant,” “flash,” or “slang”; “Zigeuner,”i.e., “Gipsey.”
Gaur.
African: same asGeber. “Gaiour,” “Kaffir,”i.e.“infidel.”
Gaura.
A name forBengaliand other languages of N. India.SeePanch.
Gawilghuri.
Name forGond, a dialect of the Vindhyan range.
Gbe.
African: a dialect of theManuclass, allied toBassa,Dewoi, andKru. See Köelle: “Afr. Pol.”H. C.
Ge,Geiko.
American: dialect of Brazil. See Spix and Von Martius: “Reise in Brasilien,” 3 vols., München, 1823-31.SeeGez.
Geber.
African: a term forKaffir.SeeGuebre.
GeezorGheez.
Sub-SemiticorHebræo-African, the modern language of Tigré, a province in N.E. Abyssinia, directly derived from theEthiopic. See “Institutiones grammat. ling: Geez.”
Genevese.
Sub-dialect ofFrench, spoken in Switzerland. “Glossaire,” Genève, 1819.
Gens de Pitié.
American: name for the Shoshones (“root diggers”).
Gentoo.
Name forTelinga,Telugu, in the Madras Presidency.
⁂ Introduced by the Portuguese from “Gentile.”W. E.
Genua,Genovese.
Sub-dialect ofItalian. Vocaby. by Casaccia, Genua, 1842.SeeLigurian.
Geographical Distribution of Languages.SeeIntroduction.
George’s Sound, King.
District of S.W. Australia. Vocaby. in Cap. Grey, 1841.
Georgian.
Caucasian: a family of languages spoken in several dialects, generally classed asTuranian, but mingled withAryan. The main language is the vernacular speech of Georgia, a Russian province lying between the Caspian and the Black Seas, which answers to the ancient Iberia. The characters of its written alphabet are altered from theArmenian, which people still call the Georgians by the name of “Virb.” See Tschoubinof: “Dict. Géorg.-Russ.-Fr.,” St. Petersburg, 1840; Vocaby. in Klaproth: “Asia P.”; Grammar by Brosset, Paris, 1837. ☞
Geral.
American,i.e.“lingua geral”: a name for theGuarani, or native vernacular dialect of Brazil, as mingled withPortuguese.
German.
A word of very doubtful etymology, used for:—
(1)German: the typical language of modernHigh-Dutch, which is naturally derived from the ancientAlemannic, and allied toGothic, which, however, is classed asLow-German. It is, in many dialects, the vernacular speech of the Empire of Germany, Prussia, Austria, Bavaria, &c. The form of its printed letters is of the class called Gothic, and both closely resemble Old English black-letter, but the use of Roman letter is gaining ground. Dictys. by Heyse, Hilpert, Sanders, Flügel, Grimm, Lucas, &c., Grammars by Grimm, Kehrein, &c.
(2)Old High-German.See Massmann: “Gedrängtes althochdeutsches Wörterb.,” Berlin, 1846.SeeGermanic.
(3)Middle High-German.See Benecke: “Wörterb.,” 4 vols., Leipsig, 1854-60; Ziemann, 1838.SeeGermanic.
(4)New High-German.SeeLutheran.
(5) Dialects. See Jülg’s “Vater,” pp. 84-93; Works by Hoefer, Schmeller, Weinhold, &c.
(6)Nieder Platt-Deutsch, orLow-German.SeeDutch.
Germanic.
The main stem ofTeutonic: divided into (1)High-German, (2)Low-German.
Under (1) we class the sub-branches calledOld High-GermanandMiddle High-German; from which again issue the modern dialects ofHigh-German. Under (2) we classMœso-Gothic,Anglo-Saxon,Old Dutch,Old Frisian, andOld Saxon, from which again issue the modern dialects of England, Friesland, N. Germany (Platt-Deutsch), Holland, and Flanders.
Eccardus: “Historia,” Hanover, 1711; Julius: “Bibliotheca,” Hamburg, 1817; Meidinger: “Vergleich. Wörterb.,” Frankfort, 1836; Hickes: “Thesaurus,” London, 1708.SeeScandinavian.
Gerri.
African: a language of the Darsaleh.
GezorGhez.
Portugueseof S. America.SeeJahyco.
GhaorGha,seeGa.
Ghadamsi.
One of the African languages calledBerber, known to us as spoken in the town of Ghadamis, which is situated S.E. of Tripoli, nearly in latitude 30° N. and longitude 10° E. The language is very imperfectly known to us, and seems to be of quite small extent; yet, in spite of the geographical position, it is no mere dialect of the Tamazight. Dr. Richardson brought home a meagre vocabulary of it, and a translation of the third chapter of Matthew into it, which were partly lithographed, and partly printed by the Foreign Office.F. W. N.SeeLibyan.
Ghagar.
AGipseydialect of Egypt; cf. Hagar, Gen. xvi., 1.
Ghandi.
African: dialect of theManaclass, in the W. See Köelle: “Pol. A.”
Ghegh.
An unwritten dialect ofAlbanian. It is spoken in the more N. districts. See Hahn’s “Albanisch. Studien,” Vienna, 1853.G. R.
GhindzharorGindzhar.
Abyssinian: dialect ofAdali.
Ghond,seeGundi.
Ghurbat,seeKhurbat.
Gibberish.
A name for nonsensical speech: it is a word peculiar to English, derived, according to some, from Geber, the Arabian alchemist, but, compare the words “gabble” and “jabber,” with theOld Norse“gifra.” (Wedgwood.)
GidantshiorGida.
African: assigned by Barth toHamarua.SeeBatta.
Gien.
African: dialect of the W., about 10° N.L.
Giessen.
A sub-dialect ofHigh-German.
Giliak.
A dialect ofMantshu, very probably a form of the word “Koriak”; it is spoken on the N.W. coast of Asia, to the S. of the Sea of Okotsk, in the parts about the peninsula of Saghalin, and at the mouth of the Amúr. See Middersdorp.R. G. L.
Gilolo.
In this island are languages of theGalelaandMalayanfamilies.H. C.SeeGani.
Gipsey,underGy.
GizagantshiorGizaga.
African: assigned by Barth toHamarua.SeeBatta.
Glagolitish.
A name for theOld Slavonicalphabet, derived from their word for the letter “G,”scil.“glagol.”SeeHieronymic.
Glossotype.
A name for an extended system of alphabets, including all possible varieties of sound under one uniform system of symbols. See Ellis: “Early English Pronunciation,” London, 1867-71.
Gloucestershire.
A sub-dialect of England. See Glossary of the Cotswold dialect by the Rev. R. W. Huntley.W. W. S.
Gnurellean.
A native dialect of Australia, spoken by natives of Campaspee. See Eyre: “Journals, &c.,” London, 1845.
Goali.
African: dialect of theNufi.
Gohuri.
A dialect ofTamul, allied toBowri.
Gold-coast,seeOtshi.
Gond,seeGundi.
Gonga.
Class name for the languages spoken in the S.W. of Abyssinia. They probably lie between theSemiticandAmharicof the North andKaffirforms of speech of the South. Known only by vocabularies. Beke, &c.R. G. L.SeeWolaitsa,Woratta,Woraitsa.
GooptaorGupta.
Numismatic: a dynasty of Indian princes. Chundra-Gupta (Sandracottus) reigned in the Punjab,circaB.C.300, and the coinage of his successor Asoka shows inscriptions in Sanskrit, being the very earliest form of that language confirmed by an authentic date. The character of the letters is the same as that of the Aryan inscriptions onBactriancoins.SeeSassanian.
GoorungorGurung.
A dialect of Central Nipal, classed by some asDravidianorSub-Turanian.
Goram.
Dialects ofMalay. Wallace: ii., 296-7.
Gorgotoquienses.
American: dialect of Peru, known only from the following notice: “P. Gaspar Reuz Alaman, Gramatica de la Lengua Gorgotoquiense en el Peru.” Mentioned in Barcia’s edition of Piñelo, but not known to be printed. Ludwig: Appendix, p. 221.R. G. L.
Goropiser.
A nickname for unsound etymologists, derived from “Goropius,”i.e.“Van Gorp,” appellation borne by Jan Bécan, or Becanus (1518-1572), author of some speculative works.
Gothic.
An extinct idiom of Teutonic, classed asLow-German. The Goths formed that large body of people who, under the names of “ostro,”i.e.Eastern, and “visi,”i.e.Western Goths, harassed the latter centuries of imperial Rome. The most permanent record of their tongue is found in the “Codex Argenteus,” or “Silver Book,” an imperfect version of the four Gospels, now preserved at Upsala in Sweden; it has frequently been printed, and represents the dialect of the Mœso-Goths, who were settled in ancient Mœsia, S. of the Danube, under the Emperor Valens. This version is attributed to Bishop Ulphilas or Little Wolf, who translated the Scriptures into Gothic, using an alphabet constructed by himself and adapted to their phonesis, said to be derived from the Greek,A.D.318-378. See Diefenbach: “Wörterb.” 2 vols, Frankfurt, 1847-51; Meyer: “Die Gothische Sprache,” Berlin, 1869.SeeMœso-Gothic.
Göttingen.
A sub-dialect ofPlattorLow-Dutch. See Quentin: “Annalen der Braunschweig,” &c., Hanover, 1789.
Goulburn.
District of Australia. See Eyre: “Journals,” &c., 2 vols., London, 1845.
Gould Is.
District of S. Australia.
Grammar.
A word derived from the Greek “γράμμα,” “a written character or letter,” used to signify the science that treats of the elements of any language; including the art of reading, spelling, and writing it correctly.SeeComparative.
Grammatography.
A study ofLetters; any work that describes or illustrates and treats of the alphabets of various languages.
Granada, New.
The name for a class of nativeS. American, superseded by Columbia.
Grebo.
African: dialects of numerous tribes on the Ivory-coast, allied toKru. “Vocaby,” Cape Palmas, 1837.SeeKrepi.
Greco-Latin.
A class term, including Greek, Latin, and the various allied dialects included in, or formed from, the languages so named.G. R.
Greco-Turkish.
A name forTurkish, when expressed in theGreekcharacter, for newspapers, correspondence, &c.H. C.
Greek.
The typical language of theHellenicbranch of the great Indo-European family of languages.
(1) An extinct language, calledArchaic Greek, spoken in numerous dialects by the ancient inhabitants of Greece, Asia Minor, and Egypt under the Ptolemies. It was thus the vernacular speech of the most polished race of antiquity; and is the language of Plato, of Demosthenes, of Homer, of Xenophon, and Aristotle. Lex. by Pape, Liddell, and Scott. Grammars by Jelf, Buttmann, Curtius, Kuhner.
(2) The modern dialect of Greece, called alsoRomaicandNeo-Hellenic, derived directly from ancientGreek. Lex. by Contopoulos, “Eng. and Mod. Greek,” 2 vols., Smyrna and London, 1868-70; Sophocles: “Romaic or Mod. Greek Grammar,” London, 1866.
(3) Dialects ofClassical Greek:Æolic,Attic,Doric,Ionic. See Stephanus: “Thesaurus,” Salmasius, Hermann.
(4)Later Greek: “χοινή,” “the common language”;Byzantine;Alexandrian(of the Septuagint); Scriptural (of the N. Test.); Cretan, &c. Lex. by Sophocles, 1871.SeeHellenic.
Greenlandish.
A dialect ofEskimo, spoken in Greenland, the most E. part of Arctic America. See Kleinschmidt: “Grammatik,” 8vo., Berlin, 1851; “Efterretninger om Grönland,” by Paul Egede.
Grimm’s Law.
A name for that peculiarity of speech, first systematised by Jacob Grimm, a celebrated German philologist, by which some letters serve as equivalents for other letters, by natural laws of speech, in languages derived from a common original. ☞
Gröningen.
A sub-dialect ofFrisianin Holland. See Swaagmann: “Annales Acad.: Gröningen,” 1825.
Guachi.
American: spoken in the province of Matto-Grosso, Brazil. See Spix and Von Martius: “Reise in Brasilien,” München, 1823-31.
Guadalcanar.
Polynesian: the dialect of the Solomon islanders, closely allied toBauro.
Guaham.
A dialect ofLesser-Polynesian, closely allied toChamori. See Crawfurd: “Dissert.,” p. 262.
Guajiquiro.
American: a dialect ofLenca, vernacular in Honduras. See Squier: “Tr. Amer. Ethnol. Soc.”
Guana.
American: an isolatedBraziliandialect of the province of Matto-Grosso. See short Vocaby. in Castelnau, vol. v., appendix.
Guanche.
A name for the aborigines of the Canary Is.; the few glosses extant of their original language areBerber. The modern dialect is allied toShelluh. See Glas: “Histy. of the Canary Is.,” London, 1764.
Guaque.
American: a dialect of New Granada. See Vocaby. by M. M. Albis: “Los Indios del Andaque,” Popayan, 1855.
Guarani,seeTupi.
Guarpes,seeMilcocayac.
Guasava.
American: aMexicandialect spoken in the province of Michoacan. See “Arte,” por P. F. Villafaña; M. S. “Ludewig,” by Trübner. London, 1858.
Guatimala.
A class of native dialects vernacular in Central America.
Guato.
American: aBraziliandialect of the province of Matto-Grosso, allied toPurusandCoroato. See Castelnau, vol. v.H. C.SeeQuado.
Guatusos.
American: a dialect ofNicaragua. See “Nouvelles Annales des Voyages,” Squier in “Ath. Français.” Dec. 25, 1852.R. G. L.
Guavapuava.
Name of a district in Brazil, inhabited by the Cames, Votoroes, Dorins, and Xocrens. Francisco dos Chagos Lima: “Memoria sobre o Descubriement de la Colonia de Guavapuavo, Revista Trimensal.” Tom. iv., Rio de Janeiro, 1844. Ludewig, p. 222, appendix.R. G. L.
Guayacuru.
American: the most E. language of the Chaco district.SeeMbaya.
Guberi.
African: a dialect of theHaussa.
Guda,Gudantshi.
African: assigned by Barth to Hamarua; spoken by the Guda, “a very learned people.”R. G. L.
Gudang.
An aboriginal dialect of Australia. See “Voyage of the Rattlesnake,” ii., 279.
Guebe.
A dialect ofPapuan.
Guenoa.
American: a dialect of Brazil and Paraguay. See Hervas’ “Saggio,” pp. 228-9; Catalogo, p. 46.R. G. L.
Guharibo.
American: a dialect of Venezuela; short vocabulary by Spruce.
GuianaorGuyana.
American: a group of dialects allied toCarib. Also calledGuinau. See Schomburgk: “Report of B. Assot.,” 1848.SeeTalkee-Talkee.
Guildford.
District S.W. Australia. Vocaby., Capt. Grey, 1841.
Guinea, New,seePapuan.
Guipuscoan.
A dialect of SpanishBasque.
GujaratiorGuzerati.
The vernacular dialect of Gujerat or Guzerat, a peninsula of N.W. India, between the Indus and Bombay. It is allied toHindi, but has a more cursive character of alphabet, derived like it from theDevanagari. It is much used by Parsees. See Dictys. by Karsandas and Shapurjí.
Gundi.
The dialects of the Ghonds or Gonds, spoken in Goomsúr or Gúmsúr, and generally in the extensive province of Goandwana. It is allied toTamilandTelugu. See Caldwell “Dravid: Comp: Gram.,” London, 1861.SeeKhond.
Gunungtellu.
Papuan: a dialect ofCelebesorMacassar; allied toBugis.
Gupta,seeGoopta.
GuresaorGursea.
African: a dialect of theKouri, closely allied toDzelana.SeeGuren.
Gurmukhi.
The name for an alphabetic character peculiar to Scinde.
Gurung,seeGoorung.
Gurwhal,Gurhwal.
A dialect ofHindi, also calledShreenagur; it is the vernacular speech of Sreenaghur, a district of the Himalayas, near the source of the R. Sutlej.
Guzerathi,seeGujarati.
Gyami.
A monosyllabic dialect, vernacular in N. and S.E. Thibet.
Gyarung.
A dialect ofBhot, vernacular in N. and S.E.Thibet.
Gypsy.
(1) Thepatoisof English gipsies, also calledRomany. The prefix “gip” may be compared with the word “Egypt.” These people are also known as “Gitano,” “Zincali,” “Zingari,” “Zigeuner,” and by many other names in different countries. The prefix “Zin” may be compared with the word “Sindh,” or “Indian,” meaning “dark.”
(2) The dialects of Gipsies in Europe and Asia; they are very ancient, and classed asIndian, but with later additions from the country in which they reside, the principal being Egyptian, Hungarian, Spanish, and Turkish. See Grellmann: “Dissertation,” London, 1807; Paspati: “Etudes sur les Tchinghianés,” Constantinople, 1870; translation, Newhaven, Conn.; Borrow: “Lavengro,” “Romany Rye”; Roberts: “Gypsies,” London, 1842; Glossary by Smart: “Phil. S. Trans.,” 1862.