PREFACE.

AUGUST SCHLEICHER in the second edition of his well-known Compendium, published in 1866, and translated by me in great part into Italian, described with wonderful precision, order and clearness the results of the investigations made by a historical and comparative method in the preceding fifty years on the subject of that linguistic stock which he with nearly all the German scholars called 'IndoGermanic,' and which I with several illustrious masters of our science, for want of a positively better term, call ‘Aryan' or ' Indo-European.'1 Theodor Benfey, in his Geschichte der sprachwissenschaft, was unable to carry the narration beyond 1867. To continue, as far as my powers permitted, the work of those two most learned scholars, tracing the progress of research on the field of the Aryan languages from 1866 to the present year, is the task which I have set myself in writing this book. But it is well to observe at the outset that it is my intention to discuss only those works which concern, more or less

1 See my Introduction à Paris, 1875, pp. 146-8, 213-6 l'étude de la science du langage,

(note).

directly, the entire Aryan stock, considered in itself and in its supposed relations with other stocks of viii languages. I have, therefore, excluded from our examination all researches which extend only to some one part of the Indo-European languages and all those which belong to the widest circle of general philology for this reason I have not spoken, for example, either of the works of Corssen on the ancient languages of Italy, or of the studies on comparative syntax of which G. Gabelentz gave us a specimen. I am, moreover, far from presuming to have achieved, within the limits mentioned, a work in every way complete, as was indeed my most lively wish because sometimes I have not had the means at hand, from inability to consult all those works without exception to which I have felt the need of referring in the composition of the present book.1 I may nevertheless affirm, quoting in proof this work itself, that I have had at my disposal the majority of the works, principally German, which were able to serve my purpose at all. For this my thanks and acknowledgements are due especially to the National Library of Turin, which is presided over with a keen love of science by the distinguished man to whom I have chosen to dedicate this book, in

1 Among the reviews of which, for the reason mentioned, I have not been able to avail myself, may be mentioned the Revue de linguistique et de philologie comparée, the Jenaer literaturzeitung, the North British Review, [see however note on p. 99.-Tr.],

to which might be added some others. Of some of them it was not possible to procure even a number containing matter, generally of a critical kind, which it was very important to be able to consult.

order to attest, as far as lay in my power, my homage to the illustrious Indian scholar who honours the Italian name, and my gratitude to one among the few eminent men whose word and example have been to me and to several others a powerful stimulus to the work, and have given us, in days both of joy and of sadness, undoubted and uncommon proofs of affection. And as I have consulted without stint of time or trouble as many works as I have found ix useful for my object, so I confidently believe that neither many nor great lacunæ will be noticed in this book. And it is therefore much less in view of these than of the compendious nature of the exposition, by which I have been compelled to confine much matter in a small compass, that it has appeared to me expedient to prefer to any other title the very modest one of Remarks. And I have called them Historical and Critical,1 because it has been my intention to make known not only the methods followed and the results obtained by the most recent investigators, and the relations existing between these and the preceding researches on the stock of the Aryan languages, but also the opinions which have been advanced on the worth of the new researches by learned critics and not unfrequently also my own view. And to this end I have been desirous that my constant rule, together with full independence of thought and perfect impartiality, should be a profound respect for the persons whom I have had to notice and for their opinions, and a lively dislike

1 Historico-critici.

of those hasty judgements, by which, from puerile impatience or ridiculous vanity, the attempt has been and is often made to put an end to the discussion of problems whose hour of solution has not yet come. Among the various forms which might have been given to the exposition I have naturally, as far as possible, always adhered to that which seemed to correspond best to the degree of philological knowledge peculiar to the students for whom I was writing who, while they do not rank among the masters of the science of language, yet are not among the number of those who are ignorant of its elements.1

X If the work does not fall far short of the intentions with which it was compiled, I may be allowed to hope that it will not be without use to the progress of linguistic studies, especially in Italy. And in the first place I trust that it may be of advantage by diffusing the knowledge of new truths and new hypotheses, not only differing from, but essentially contrary to, those which have been masters of the field up to our days, and by inviting and so to speak forcing the followers of this study to fresh discussions. Nor will this seem a slight advantage to any one who considers attentively the state of

1 The convenience of readers has been consulted also by numerous bibliographical notes and by two indexes, one of which points out the subject of each of the paragraphs, the second the names of the authors of whom

some writing is mentioned in this book, or even some opinion only. The first of the two indexes, and the slight bulk of the present volume seem to us to render superfluous an alphabetical index of subjects.