ing the first, the foregoing; Modaces and Sosarmus have not yet been explained. Here follows the explanatory figures: The fact of the aryanization of Susian names is proved by the Behistun inscriptions. There occur the following names: The Susian originals are guaranteed by the Median text; moreover, Umbadara is quoted in the Asurbanhabal inscriptions as a Susian, and issan and sakri are also Susian words, existing in the texts of SutrukNakhuntē, "mighty ruler of the plain of Susunqu.” With respect to the Median Kings of Diodorus, it is possible, also, that Artycas and Arbianes are merely other Persian forms for Artaeus, as may be the case with the perhaps corrupt Artynes. The canon of the Median Kings, quite in conformity with M. de Sauley's statements, runs as follows: These are just the 228 years which Herodotus (i. 130) accords to the Median Kings' reigns since their liberation from the Assyrian yoke. The two dynasties of Media and Persia were quite distinct in nationality and religion. The accession of the Achaemenides with Cyrus marks the victory of the Aryan and of the Zoroastrian faith. A century before that epoch, the last independent king of Persia, and the sixth of his family, Achaemenes, had been superseded by the Mede Phraortes. GRAMMAR OF THE MEDIAN LANGUAGE. All Median scholars are greatly indebted to the grammatical outlines of Norris, whose conscientious labours in this new science cannot be overrated. Nevertheless, many points have not been elucidated by him, and notably the Median conjugation. We will not insist upon the modifications to be introduced in the decipherment of the characters; we will not explain the declensions and suffixes; these are to be exposed in a larger work. Here follows only the conjugation of the Median regular verbs. The regular verbs are in some instances monosyllabic, very few derived are trisyllabic; the great majority of them are dissyllabic, finishing in a, i, or e, u or o. Ex. hutta, to do; vaggi, to bear, to bring, to send; vite, to go; rilu, to write; appanto, to sin. The conjugation is either active or neuter. The latter of these forms is that of passives. The primitive form is to be found in the shortened first person of the historical preterite tense; for example: hutta, I made; vaggi or vaggiya, I brought; tite or titeya, I lied; kidu or kiduva, I pulled out; appanto or appantova, I sinned. All personal terminations can be proved, except that of the second plural person. We have only the imperative mood of this person; in the other instances it has been supplied by analogy. The preterite tense forms with the addition of ta or ti the pluperfect or imperfect; with ra, the indefinite preterite; with nē, the precative mood. We choose for paradigm the verb in i, kuti, to bring. ACTIVE VERB OF THE RADICAL FORM. Sing. 1 p. kutinë, may I bring 2 p. kutikine, mayst thou bring, imperative 3 p. Plur. 1 p. kutiyutnē 2 p. kutikipně 3 p. kutiyasně (kutisnē) |