R.

Rabbinic.

LaterHebrew; applied also to the cursive alphabet used by the Rabbins, and in a modified form by German and Polish Jews.SeeTalmudic.

Radack,Ralick.

Polynesian: chain of islands in Lord Mulgrave’s archipelago; allied to Carolines.

Radigeurs.

American:Frenchname for Shoshones.

Rafael,seeRaphael.

Raffles’ Bay.

Australian: See Wilson’s “Narrative,” London, 1835.

Rafizies.

Shiah-Mohammedans of Ghazan, Central Asia.

Ragusan.

Slavonic: local dialect ofIllyrian, spoken in Dalmatia.

Rahwa.

Native name for aborigines of Western Esthonia and Eastern Livonia.SeeLief.

Raj-Mahali.

Dravidian: dialect of Tamil. Vocaby. in Hunter’s “Comp. Dicty.”

Rakkaing(Rukheng).

Monosyllabic: dialect of this tribe in N. Arracan, classed asIndo-Chinese.A. C.SeeRo.

Ralick,seeRadack.

Ramasi(Rah-már-syána).

Indian: slang of Thugs. Wilson.

Ramosi,Ramoosee.

Dialect ofMahrattaspoken by a low race, resembling the Bheels, ranging from Poona, S. to Kolapur. Wilson.

Raphael, San.

American: Tchokoyem Indians of Californian Mission; closely allied toTalatui, and classed asDiegunos.

Rarotongan.

A dialect of Eastern Polynesia spoken by the natives of the entire Hervey group comprising the Islands of Rarotonga, Mangaia, Aitutaki, with several smaller ones. The group is situated 18° to 22° S. lat., and 157° to 160° W. long.W. G. L.

Rarung,Rasgramee.

Indian: local dialects of Kunawar.

Ras,Rasena.

Native appellation of Old Etruscans; the word is supposed to survive inRhætian, and Tschudi quotes a list of Romansch words, which he considers to have been derived from the Etruscan. See Taylor’s “Words and Places,” p. 49, 2nd edit.

Ratahan.

Malayan: sub-dialect ofMenadu. Vocaby. in Wallace’s “M. Archipelago.”

Ravensberg.

Teutonic: dialect ofLow-German, “Westphalian Magazine” for 1788.

Rdjagar.

Indian: aSanskriticdialect of Thibet.

Redscar Bay.

Negrito: dialect ofPapuan. Vocaby. in Macgillivray’s “Voyage of the Rattlesnake,” vol. ii., p. 318.

Reduplicated.

Words found in all languages having sounds or syllables doubled, as “hoddy-doddy” for “snail;” “hogan-mogan,” “a Dutch man of rank.” Dicty. by Wheatley, London, 1866.

Reindeer.

Ugrian: a dialect ofKoriakspoken by Tshuktshi in Kamskatka.

Rejang,Redjang.

A dialect ofMalay, perhaps sufficiently distinct to be considered as a peculiar language, and spoken in Sumatra in the Rejang districts of the interior, and in the adjacent districts of Bencoolen. It is written with the Palembang or Renchong alphabet.P. J. V.SeePalembang.

Rekhta.

“Mixed language,” applied toHindostaniorUrdu.

Rembokeng.

Malayan: sub-dialect ofMenadu.

Rennes.

Romance;patoisofFrench. “Memoirs Fr. Antiq. Society,” vol. vi.

Rennthier.

German form of “rein-deer,” applied to theTshuktshi.

Reval,Revel.

Finnish: local dialect ofEsthonian.SeeDorpat.

Rhætian.

The class of languages spoken in the Tyrol, to which theEtruscanhas also been referred.SeePalæo-Georgian.

Rhæto-Romanic.

Same asChurwalsche; name for thepatoisof La Suisse Romane as spoken in the Rhætian Alps. Glossary by Bridel, Lausanne, 1866.

Rhatore,seeMewara.

Rhenish.

Germanic: sub-dialect ofNieder-Deutsch. See Müller’s “Provinzialismen,” Aachen, 1838.

Riccari.

American, also writtenAricara; name for the Satrahe tribes of Pawnee Indians.

Rihani.

Arabic: term used for titular characters, or inscriptions on monuments.

Ro.

Monosyllabic; sub-dialect ofRakkeng.SeeRossawn.

Rodiya.

Indian: rude dialect of Ceylon, allied toHindi. Small Vocaby. by Dr. Roth in Latham’s “Elements,” p. 233.

Rodong.

Non-Aryan language of Nipal, belonging to theKirantigroup. Vocaby. in Hunter’s “Comp. Dicty.”

Roka.

Malayan: dialect of Flores or Mangeyle, E. Indies.

Roma,Romany,seeRommany.

Romagnol,Romagna,Roman.

Italic: dialect of Central Italy. See “Racotta,” Osinio, 1769.

Romaic.

Hellenic: language of Modern Greece, called alsoNeo-Hellenic. The vernacular speech is largely augmented withSlavonic,Turkish, andItalian, but not the written language.

⁂ Several dialects have been distinguished: there is mostTurkishin the languages of Macedonia; mostItalianin the languages of the Ionian Islands.

Roman.

Alphabetic character in universal use; adopted in earlyItalicfrom thePhœnicianor earlyGreek, and spread by means of theLatinlanguage.

Romana,Romanese,Rumonsch.

A modification ofLatin, including upper and lowerEngadine, vernacular in the Grisons, Swiss Alps.

Romance,orRomanic.

Class name for all modern languages derived fromLatin; including, in chief,French,Italian,Portuguese,Spanish,Wallachian, andRomansch. See Etymological Dictionary by Diez and Donkin, London, 1864; Essay by Lewis, London, 1862.

Romance,Romaunt,orRoman.

A name awkwardly used as equivalent toProvençal, or theLangue d’Ocof South France; thus Raynouard’s Dicty. of Provençal is called “Lexique de la Langue Roman.”W. W. S.SeeRomaine.

Romano-Moldavian.

Dialect of Romanic, intermediate betweenMoldavianandWallachian.

Rommany.

A name forGipsy, self-applied; also calledBohemian,Zincali,Tchinghianes,Zigeuner,Gitano, &c. ☞

Romohon.

Malayan: sub-dialect ofMenadu.

Romonan.

American: tribe of Costanos in California.

Ron.

Negrito: dialect ofPapuanspoken in New Guinea.

Root-DiggersorDiggers.

American: Indians of the Sierra Nevada, California, classed asShoshones. They are also called Gens de Pitie, Radigeurs, and Maradiços; the most degraded race of Red Indians in N. America.

⁂ The language is allied to theNegriticorPygmeanof the Andamans.H. C.

Roots.

Ultimate forms of words, the primitive basis of a language, serving to connect related languages in different parts of the globe, and frequently transferred from one family of speech to another.

Rosetta-Stone.

Egyptian: remarkable object of antiquity in the B. Museum; Bilingual inscription of Ptolemy Epiphanes,B.C.196, in Hieroglyphic, Demotic, or Enchorial, and Uncial Greek.

Rossawn,Rusan.

Indian: a dialect ofBengalispoken by Hindus of Arakan.SeeRuinga.

Rothwalsh.

Germanterm for cant, slang, or gibberish.SeeDiebes-Sp.

Rotti.

Malayan: Island of the Sunda group S. W. of Timor; it has straight-haired Polynesians, with a separate language. See Dissertation in Crawfurd’s “Malay Gr.”

Rotuman.

The language of the Island of Rotumah, situated in 12° S. lat. and 177° E. long., which appears to be a compound of Eastern and Western Polynesian.W. G. L.

Rouchi-Française.

The same asWallon. See Dicty. of Hécart, Paris, 1834.

Rouman,Roumana,Rumanyo(Rumanje.)

A name forDacian.SeeWallachian.

Roveredo.

Romance: sub-dialect ofItalian. “Lezione,” by Pannetti, Roveredo, 1761.

Rucahee.

American: tribe of Abipones.

Ruinga.

Indian: dialect ofBengalispoken by Mohammedans of Arakan.SeeRakkaing.

Rukheng,seeRakkaing.

Rumahkai.

Malayan: dialect of Ceram.

Rumonsch,seeRomana.

Rumsen,Runsienes.

American: Achastlian Indians of the San Carlos Mission, Monterey.

Runda.

African: sub-dialect ofKaffir.

Runes,Runic.

Early alphabet of N. Europe, attributed to primitiveGothic, and found in Scandinavian or old Norse and Icelandic inscriptions; calledFuthorc, from the first five letters. The Anglo-Saxon names areFeoh,Ur,THorn,Os,Rad,Cen. Dicty. by Dieterich, Stockholm, 1845; Work by Stephens: “Old Northern Runic Monuments,” London, 1869.

⁂ Historically viewed,Runesmay be considered as associated with the Pagan era of Scandinavian races, having apparently been relinquished as each tribe, in succession, adopted the Roman alphabet in consequence of embracing Christianity. In English the runeWen, or W., continued in use till aboutA.D.1280; the runeThorn, orTh, lingered tillA.D.1500, and is even used now, though miswritten “y,” as in “ye,” pronounced “the.”W. W. S.

Rungchenbung.

Non-Aryan: dialect of Kiranti group E. Nipal. Vocaby. in Hunter’s “Comp. Dicty.”

Rungo.

African: dialect of Sierra Leone. See Kilham’s Specimens.

Runsienes,seeRumsen.

Rusan,seeRossawn.

Ruslen.

American: Indians of California.

RussorRussian(Rooskie).

Dominant language ofSlavonic, using theCyrilliccharacters, and very largely augmented from other families of speech, forming one of the most copious languages in the world; sub-divisions or local dialects known asMuscoviteorGreat Russian,White Russian,Susdalic,Olonetzian,UkrainianorLittle Russian. Grammar by Heard; by Reiff, Paris, 1862; Lexicon, Karlsruhe, 1870-1; and by Dahl.

Russniack.

Slavonic: a local dialect of Hungary.SeeOrosz.

Rustica(Lingua).

Supposed provincial dialects of classicalLatinduring the Roman period. (Raynouard.)

Rutana.

African: dialect of Nubia. See Jülg’s “Vater,” p. 319.

Ruthenian.

Slavonic: dialect ofRuss.

Rutluk.

Non-Aryanlanguage of Central India. Vocaby. in Hunter’s “Comp. Dicty.”


Back to IndexNext