Labourdin.
Sub-dialect of FrenchBasque.
Labrador.
American: dialect ofEskimo.
Labrung.
Indo-Chinese: tribe of Singpho.
Lachlan.
Australian: dialect of Regent Lake.
Laconian.
Hellenic: a dialect of modernGreek; also calledTzakonian.SeeSpartan.
Laconic.
Short, pithy, terse forms of expression, derived from the mode of speech adopted in Laconia.
Ladakhi.
Sub-dialect ofBhot, vernacular at Ladakh in Thibet.
Ladiniche,Ladino.
Romance: called also Upper and LowerEnghadine. It is a corruption ofLatin, spoken in the valley of the Inn, on the confines of Switzerland with the Tyrol and Italy.
Ladrones.
Micronesian: dialect of the Marianne Is. Also calledChamori.
Laghman,seeLughman.
Lagoa.
African: Kafir of Delagoa Bay. Vocaby. in White’s Journal, London, 1800.
Lake,seeOstiak.
LamanoorLamissa.
American: dialect ofQuichua, belonging to the district of Truxillo.
Lambich-hong.
Non-Aryan language of India, belonging to theKirantigroup, E. Nipal. Vocaby. in Hunter’s Comp. Dicty.
Lampong.
Malayan, withJavaneseelements.
⁂ Dialect of the Lampong district in S. Sumatra, and written with a peculiar native character. See “Dissertation,” Crawfurd’s Malay Grammar.P. J. V.
Lamur.
Caucasian: a name forIngush.
Lamut.
Dialect ofTungus, closely allied toYakutsk.
Lanarkshire.
Dialect of that district in Scotland.
Lancashire.
Provincial dialect ofEnglish. See Tim Bobbin: “Lancashire Dialect, with Glossary”; Bamfords’s “Dialects of So. Lancashire,” London, 1854.
Landoma.
African: closely allied toBago,Timmani, andBullom.H. C.
Langobardic.
(1)Teutonic: unclassed. See Türk: “Die Langobarden,” &c., Rostock, 1835.
(2) ProvincialItalian. See Margharini: “Dict. Longobardicum,” Tuderti, 1670.
Langowan.
Polynesian: a sub-dialect ofMenadu. Wallace: “Malay Arch.”
Langres.
PatoisofFrench. “Vocaby.,” Langres, 1822.
Language.
Speech: the expression or communication of ideas by means of articulate sounds, divided into written and spoken language; the form of speech peculiar to a nation.SeeClassification.
Langue de si.
Mediæval name forItalian. More properly “Lingua de Si.” (“Si” means “yes.”)
Langue d’joorja.
Mediæval name forGerman. Farrar. (“Ja” means “yes.”)
Langue d’oc.
(1) Name for the ancientProvençalorRomancedialect of S. France, derived from their use of the word “oc,” for “yes,” instead of “oïl”; it was in especial the language of the early poets, called Troubadours, who cultivated the “gai-science.”
(2)PatoisofFrench, the dialect of Toulouse. Dicty., Montpellier, 1820.
Langue d’oil.
Old name for the northern dialect of France, derived from using the word “oïl” for “yes,” since superseded by “oui”; it was especially used by that class of poets called “Trouvères.” Grammar by Burguy, 3 vols., second edit., Berlin and Paris, 1870.
Lanka-Bhasa.
AncientSinhalese; Ceylon being called Lanka or Lenka in Sanskrit.SeePali.
Lanzerota.
A dialect of the Canary Is.
LaosorLaw.
Indo-Chinese: a northern and central dialect of Siam, spoken along the R. Menam. See “Jnl. Asiatic Soc. of Bengal,” 1837, and Hunter’s “Comp. Dicty.”
Lap,Lapponese,orLapponic.
Tchudic: dialect of theUral-Altaicfamily of languages; it is agglutinative, closely allied toFin, and spoken in Swedish and Russian Lapland, N. Europe. See Friis: “Lappisk Grammatik,” Christiania, 1856.
Lapanas,seeLipan.
Lar.
Hindi: dialect of Lower Scinde. Small Vocaby. in Latham’s “Elements,” p. 229.
Lariki.
Malayan: dialect of W. Amboyna. See Wallace: “Malay Arch.”
LasenorLazen.
Sub-dialect ofGeorgian. Rosen: “Die Sprache der Lazen,” Lemgo, 1844.SeeLazic.
Lassa.
Bhot.Lassa, capital of Thibet, is the head-quarters of the Moghol-Buddhists.
Lasta,seeAgau.
Latin.
Head of the Italic branch of theAryanfamily of languages, and closely allied toOscan,Samnite, andUmbrian; originally the vernacular speech or idiom of old Italic, spoken in Latium, a small state S. of the basin of the R. Tiber. It originated the six so-calledRomancelanguages, viz.: (1) Italian, (2) Spanish, (3) Portuguese, (4) Wallachian, (5) Romansch, of the canton Grisons, and (6) French, the latter being further sub-divided into twoprincipaldivisions, viz., Northern-French and Provençal. The Northern-French was called by Roquefort “La Langue Romaine”; the Provençal was called by Raynouard “La Langue Roman,”—both titles are misnomers.W. W. S.
Lausitz.
Sub-dialect ofHigh-German. See Vocaby., Anton: “Oberlausitz üblichen,” Görlitz, 1825-39.SeeLusatian.
Law,seeLaos.
Layamon.
American: dialect of Lower California. See “Nachrichten,” by Von Murr, Halle, 1809.
Lazic.
Lesghian:Georgiandialect of Lazistan, in Asia Minor; same asLasen.
⁂ It is unwritten, and differs much from Georgian and Swan.H. C.
Lebu,seeFeejeean, &c.
Legba.
African: dialect ofKouri, closely allied toTembu,Kaure, andKeamba.H. C.
Leghi.
Old name forLesghian.
Lekamtshi.
African: assigned by Barth to theHamarua.
Lekhi.
Name for theLesghianof Daghestan.
Leki.
A dialect ofKurdish.
Lemba.
Malayan: dialect of Sumatra.
Lemozi.
That is,Limousin, one of the sub-dialects ofProvençal.
Lenca.
American: vernacular in Honduras; dialects areGuajiquero,Intibuca,Opatoro,Similaton. See Squier: “Notes on Central America,” Spanish ed.; “Apuntamientos,” &c., by Alvarado, Paris, 1856.
⁂ These languages are allied to theKouridialects of Africa.H. C.
Lenguas,seeJuiadge.
Lenni-Lennape.
American: original Indians of Delaware State, since in Delaware county, Indiana. Tribes were (1) Minsi, “the wolves,” (2) Unalachtgo, “the turkeys,” (3) Unami, “the turtles.” Grammar by Duponceau, Philadelphia, 1827.SeeDelaware.
Leonarde.
Keltic: a sub-dialect ofBas-Breton, spoken in the former diocese of St. Paul de Léon.
LepchaorLepsha.
Indo-Chinese: dialect of the Lepchas, a tribe of Sikim, in Trans-Himalaya. See “Jnl. Asiatic Soc. of Bengal,” vol. ix., and Hunter’s Comp. Dicty., London, 1868.A. C.
⁂ It has a written character of its own, and is closely allied toNowgongandAbor.H. C.
Lesbian.
Provincial dialect of ancientGreek, spoken in the I. of Lesbos (Mytilene). It belonged to the form of Greek known asÆolic.G. R.
Lesghian.
Caucasian: native speech of Lesghistan, a province of Georgia, the ancient Albania.
⁂ Used as a class-name for several languages, including (1)Avar,Andi,Dido, &c.; (2)Kasi-Kumuk,Akhwash, &c.; (3)Kyra, &c. TheUdealso has sometimes been placed in this group.H. C.
Lett,Lettic,orLithuanic.
Class name for a division of theWendicorSlavonicbranch of theAryanfamily of languages, represented by (1) theOld-Prussian, extinct; (2)Lithuanian, the Lettish of Lithuania; (3)Livonian, the Lettish of Livonia.
⁂ Dr. Latham considers that theLettorLithuanianshould form a class by itself, but Prof. Max Müller combines them with theSlavonicas a branch ofWendic.
Letters.
The constituent parts of an alphabet, distinguished by form, name, and sound. The primitive forms of early letters have been traced by some to picture writing, and the objects so represented are said to have originated the early names: thus, the ox—“aleph,” used as a symbol, has become letter A; “beth”—a house, has become B; “ghimel”—a camel, has become G, or C, and so on.SeePhonology.
Letti.
Malayan: a dialect of the Serwatty Is., allied toTimorese.
Lettish.
The special language of Livonia and Kurland; it is, like the Lithuanic, a form of, or allied to theSlavoniclanguage. Bielenstein: “Grammatik,” Mitau, 1863.SeeLief.
Lhopa.
Native name for the people of Bhotan or Bútan. Vocaby. in Hunter’s “Comp. Dicty.”SeeBhot.
Liang.
Malayan: dialect ofAmboynese. Wallace: “Malay Arch.”
Libyan.
Languages often called by the vague termBerber. These languages must now be reckoned as at least five in number: theShowiah, or Algerine Berber; theShilha, or Morocco Berber; theTamashight, or Berber south of Mount Atlas. The last is the purest and most widely extended. Besides these there are two others of very limited extent, that of the town of Ghadames and that of the Benî Menasser. These languages were formerly all one, as Augustine says: “In Africâ barbaras gentes in unâ linguâ plurimas novimus.” Hanoteau has made the very interesting remark that to translate from the Tamashight into Arabic, and reciprocally, though the vocabulary is widely different, is peculiarly easy, yet this proves common cultivation rather than a common origin. In a preface to the 4th appendix to Barth’s fifth volume of “Travels in Africa,” a summary is given by Professor F. W. Newman of the grammatical relations of the three chief languages to one another, but it was written without the advantage of Hanoteau’s Tamashight Grammar. We can now judge pretty accurately how they are all related to Hebrew.F. W. N.SeeHebræo-African.
⁂ Many inscriptions in the ancient written languages remain, some bilingual, Phœnician, and Lybian.H. C.
Lief.
Ugrian: dialect ofFin, spoken in Kurland.
⁂ This name is the root word of Livonia or Lief-land, a Russian government on the Baltic, but the native name for the original population is “Rahwa,” and these forms of speech are separated. The Liefs of Kurland call themselves “Sea-shore men”; the true Kurlanders speak Lithuanic.SeeCurish.
Lieflandic.
A dialect ofLow-German. See Hüpel: “Livländisches Idiot.,” Riga, 1795.
Liegeoise.
French:Wallondialect of Liége in Belgium, full ofKelticwords. Grammar by Michiels, Liége, 1863.
Lifu.
Negrito: dialect of the Loyalty Is., S. Pacific.SeeUea.
Ligurian.
Ancient dialect of the country round Genoa, classed by some asKeltic, but really not sufficiently known to admit of exact classification.G. R.
⁂ The Ligurians appear to have accompanied the Iberians, and may represent the Kol.H. C.
Likupang.
Malayan: dialect of Celebes.
Limba-Karajia,Limba-pyu.
Dialects of Australia.
Limba-Romanesca.
A name forWallachian.
LimbosorLimbu.
Tribe ofNipalandSikim, Trans-Himalaya. Vocaby. in Hunter’s Comp. Dicty.A. C.
⁂ They are also called Ekthoomba, and have an alphabetic character.H. C.
Limestone-Creek.
Dialect of Australia. See King’s Survey, London, 1827.
Limosin.
(1) Romance: dialect ofSpanish.SeeCatalonian.
(2) Dialect ofProvençal. “Dict. du patois du Bas-Limousin,” by Béronie and Vialle.
Lincoln Port,seeParnkalla.
Lingayit.
Siva-sectaries of India. It is a phallic or Priapean worship.
Lingoa-geral.
American: name for the corruptGuaraniorTupi, mingled withPortuguese, current in Brazil. “Diccionario,” &c., Bahia, 1854.
Lingua-rustica.
Italic: (1) Provincial or rustic dialect of classicalLingua-Latina-vulgaris. (2) Common dialect of mediæval Italy.
Linonian.
Wendic: a dialect ofSlavonic, same asPolabian; formerly vernacular in Luneberg.
Lipan.
American: spoken by tribes of Apache in Texas, classed asAthabascan, and also calledLapanas. See “Jnl. Ethnol. Soc.,” London, 1850.
Lithuanian.
(1) A language classed asWendic, and closely allied toLettish. It is the vernacular language of old Lithuania, as now spoken in the Russian governments of Kovno, Wilna Grodno, and in E. Prussia. Kurschat: “Lithauischen Wörterbuch,” Halle, 1870.
(2) Dialects are called Polish-Lithuanian orSamogetic. See Grammar by Staniewicz, Wilna, 1829. Prussian-Lithuanian; Pott: “De Borusso-Lithuanicæ,” Halle, 1837.SeeCrivingian.
Lithuanic.
Class name for theLetticdivision of theWendicfamily of languages.
Liudin-Kiele.
Name for theChud,TshudorVesp.SeeTavastrian.
Livonian.
Wendic: a name for theLetticof Livonia. Sjoegren: “Livische Grammatik,” St. Petersburg, 1861.SeeLettish.
Loango.
African: dialect of Kongo, classed asKaffir.
Lobo.
Negrito: dialect ofPapuan, vernacular in New Guinea, and closely allied to that of Triton Bay.H. C.
Logone.
African: dialect ofKanuri, classed asBornu, spoken S. of Lake Tshad.
Logos.
African: sub-dialect ofTimmani.
Logudore.
Italian: dialect of Sardinia.
Lohar.
Indic: Mahratta name for theTaremuki.
Lohorong.
Non-Aryan language of India, belonging to theKirantigroup, E. Nipal. Vocaby. in Hunter’s Comp. Dicty.
Lok-tai.
Tribe of Laos in Siam.SeePe-y.
Lolos.
Local dialect ofChinese.
Lombardian.
Romance: provincial dialects ofItalian.SeeLangobardic.
Lombok.
The island of Lombok or Salaparang, lying to the east of Bali, has a two-fold population; the original inhabitants of the island, called Sasaks, and forming the great majority, and the Balinese, who have conquered it but are greatly in the minority. The language of the Balinese is the same as in Bali; that of the Sasaks does not belong to the Java group, but seems to be nearly allied to that of the adjacent island Sumbawa.P. J. V.
Londo.
African: a dialect ofBantu.
London.
City dialect ofEnglish, sometimes calledCockney. “Pegge’s Anecdotes,” by Grose, London, 1818.
LoochooanorLuchu.
Japanese: dialect of the Loo-choo Is., off the E. coast of China.
Looshai.
Indian tribes inhabiting the hills of Cachar and Chittagong, Bengal.A. C.
Lord North’s Is.
“Memoir” by Pickering, Cambridge, 1845.
Loretto,seeLayamon.
LoriorLuri.
Dialect ofKurdish.
LorraineorLothringian.
Romance:patoisof France. “Essai” by Oberlin, Strasburg, 1775.
Lot.
Sub-dialect ofProvençal:patoisof the French department of Lot and Garonne.
Lothian.
Dialect of Scotland.
Lothringian,seeLorraine.
Loucheux,seeKutshin.
Louisiade.
Malayan: dialects of the Coral Seas. Macgillivray’s “Voyage of the Rattlesnake,” London, 1851.
Lourenzo-marques.
African: dialect of Delagoa Bay.
⁂ There are considerable diversities, showing the survival of other elements.H. C.SeeTekeza.
Low-German,seeDutch.
Low-Latin.
Name for the corrupted forms ofLatinthat survived the general use of the classical language of ancient Rome, chiefly used in many countries of Europe for legal, medical, and ecclesiastical purposes, and largely augmented from other languages, thence calledMonkishandDog-Latin. See Ducange’s Glossary by Henschel.
Low-Saxon.
Teutonic: branch ofPlatt-DeutschorLow-German.
Loyalty Islands.
Melanesian: dialects are known asLifu,MareorNengone, andUea, forming a small group E. of New Caledonia.SeeWallis’s Is.
Loyes.
Dialect ofAnnamese.
Lubalo.
African: dialect of Kaffir, allied toSongoandKasange.H. C.
Lubu.
Malayan: dialect of Sumatra.
Lucerne.
Sub-dialect ofHigh-German, spoken in Switzerland. See Glossary by Häffliger, Lucerne, 1815.
Lughman.
Dialect ofKohistani, spoken in Kabul. Vocaby. in “Jnl. Asiatic Soc. of Bengal,” 1838.
Lugunor.
Polynesian: a dialect of the Carolines.
Luhuppa.
Indo-Chinese: dialect of Burmah, closely allied toKoreng. See “Jnl. Asiatic Soc. of Bengal,” 1837.
Luis, San, Obispo;Luis, San, Rey.
American: Kechi Indians of California, classed asDiegunos.
Luitizian.
Slavonic: a dialect ofPolabian, also calledWiltzian, allied toLinonian.
Lule.
American: dialect of the Chaco district, considered to resembleVilela. Vocaby. by Machoni, Madrid, 1732.
⁂ Spoken on the R. Vermejo, on the drainage of R. de la Plata. The Isiftene, Tokistine, and Oristine are considered to be dialects ofLule, but no specimens are known.SeeTonocote.
Lumbari.
Name for the Gohurs or Benjari of Rajputana and Gujerat.
Lummi.
A dialect of N. America. Vocaby. by Gibbs, N. York, 1863.
Lung-khe.
A dialect ofArrakan.
Luoh,seeDyur.
Lupaka.
American: a dialect of theAymara.
Lusatian.
A sub-dialect ofWendish, allied toLivonianandPolabian. It is a name for theSerb,Sorb, orSorabiandialect ofSclavonic, vernacular in the German province of Lausitz, belonging in part to Prussia and in part to Saxony, and sub-divided into Upper and LowerSorbian.SeeWendic.
Lusitanian.
Classical name for the language spoken in the country now known as Portugal.G. R.
Lutheran.
Teutonic: a name for modernHigh-German; it is the Saxon of Meissen or Misnia, an ancient province, now parted by Prussia and Saxony. This dialect represents the old standard ofHigh-German, as popularised by Martin Luther in his magnificent version of the Scriptures.SeeSaxon.
Lutuami.
American: spoken at Lake Clamet, or Klamath, on the boundary of Oregon and California; also calledClametsandTlamatl, and allied toPalaik,Shasti, andSahaptin. See “Amer. Ethnol.,” vol. ii.
⁂ Gallatin treats this as distinct; it has affinities with theAino.H. C.
Lybian.
African: same asLibyan.SeeThugga.
Lycaonian.
Ancient dialect of Lycaonia in Asia Minor. See “Disquisition,” by Jablonski, Berlin, 1714: frequently reprinted.
Lycian.
Extinct dialect of Asia Minor, known only by inscriptions. See Fellow’s “Lycia,” London, 1841; “Asiatic Researches,” vol. xii.
⁂ It is Aryan in character, and more like theZendthan any other Aryan form of speech.G. R.
Lydian.
An extinct dialect of Asia Minor, known very imperfectly; classed by some asSemitic(Lassen, Bunsen, Bötticher), by others asIndo-European.G. R.
⁂ Dr. Hyde Clarke classes both Lycian and Lydian asPalæo-Georgian.