vegó. Let me illustrate this point by a few examples taken from common life-lessons picked up in the streets of Athens. Some of the signs of the shopkeepers and mechanics are as follows: — Υποδηματοποιός, Shoemaker. Κατάστημα Εὐρωπαικών φορεμάτων, Shop (or establishment) for European clothing. Γαλακτοπωλεῖον, ὁ Πάν, Milk-shop, the Pan. Σαμπανία τῆς πρώτης ποιότητος, Champagne of the first quality. (Spelled on the sign, however, rótytos, which has the same pronunciation, but would mean drinkability, a mistake perhaps made on purpose.) 'Euлоoоoάлτηs, Merchant-tailor. 'Ixovonwhεiov, Fish-market. 'Oлwoопwhεior, Fruit-market. FROM NEWSPAPERS. Εἰδοποίησις τοῖς συνδρομηταῖς, Notice to subscribers. Ἡ συνδρομὴ προπληρωτέα, Subscription to be paid in advance. Ὁ ὑπεύθυνος συντάκτης, The responsible editor. NOTICES, ADVERTISEMENTS, &c. Ayyelia rov Ağıxov, &c., Advertisement of the Lexicon. Πυρασφαλιστική Εταιρία, ὁ Φοίνιξ, The Phenix Fire Insurance Company. Ατμοπλοϊκή Εταιρία, Steamboat Company. Ellyviaǹ árμórλoia, Greek steam-navigation. Ατμοπλοϊκή συγκοινωνία μεταξὺ Πειραιῶς καὶ τῶν παραλίων τῆς Πελοποννήσου, Steam communication between Peircus and the coast of Peloponnesus. JUDICIAL PROCESS. Alexander Soutsos, the famous writer, has been lately prosecuted for a libel on the government. The trial is reported in a paper, called ὁ Ἥλιος (the Sun), conducted by the poet's brother. From this report I select a few words and phrases. The accused was found guilty. The verdict of guilty is καταδικαστικὴ ἐτυμηγορία. The Prosecution challenged (such and such persons), ἡ Εἰσαγγελία ἐξήρεσεν. The indictment, τὸ ἐγκλητήριον. My Client, ὁ πελάτης μου. Gentlemen of the Jury, Ἄνδρες ἔνορκοι. Retire to your room, ἀποχωρήσατε εἰς τὸ δωμάτιον. In the course of the trial the judge called one of the lawyers to order: Keep to your subject, Mr. Counsellor, περιορίσθητι εἰς τὸ θέμα, κύριε δικήγορε. IN LEGISLATION. The House of Deputies, in Athens, is called βουλή; the Senate, γερουσία. The ancient ἐκκλησία, the popular assembly, has, from early times, been appropriated to the Church. Deputies are βουλευταί ; Senators, γερουσιασταί. In the legislature of the Ionian Islands, the representatives are ἀντιπρόσωποι; as, in a recent discussion on the question of union with Greece, ὁ ἀντιπρόσωπος τῆς Λευκάδος, Κύριος Ιωάννης Μαρῖνος ἀνήγγειλεν αὐτήν, the representative of Leucadia, Mr. John Marinos, reported it. From the report: Ενδεκαμελὴς ἐπιτροπὴ ἐκλεχθήσεται, a committee of eleven members shall be chosen; the subject to be referred to them being a διακήρυξις περὶ Eroews, a proclamation concerning union. A tariff bill was discussed three or four years ago in the legislature at Athens. From the debate I select a few terms and phrases appropriate to this subject:Τὸ προστατευτικὸν σύστημα, the protective system. Οἱ προστατευτικοί, the protectionists. Ελευθερία τοῦ ἐμπορίου, freedom of trade. Ilários daouós, a fixed duty. Αἱ συζητήσεις περὶ τοῦ νέου νόμον τῶν σιτηρῶν τοῦ καταρjovvtos tηv xhíμaxa, The debates on the new Corn-law abolishing the sliding-scale. Τὸ ζήτημα ἐτέθη υἰς ψηφοφορίαν, the question was put to the vote. Η τροπολογία ἀπερρίφθη, the amendment was rejected. The debate on the Telegraph Bill is called 'H συζήτησις τοῦ περὶ τηλεγράφου νομοσχεδίου. * In One or two more illustrations must suffice. their Declaration of Independence, in 1821, the Greeks did not employ the old term, avrovouía, which expresses nearly the idea, but a modern compound, ανεξαρτησία, resembling in its etymology our word independence, which to an ancient Greek would have meant the not hanging from something. The modern abstraction, nationality, is expressed by ¿ovizórns; and national, by ivinós. A few years ago, when table-tipping was spread * The new Session of the Legislature was opened last February by a royal speech. His Majesty commends the conservative principles — τὰς συντηρηπκὰς ἀρχὰς — of the Greek people, as indicated by the election. ing over Europe, it visited Athens also. There is an amusing article on the subject in the Almanac for 1854, from which I take the following pleasant account of a table which imprudently disclosed the age of a lady who was present: 66 “ Καὶ μόνον ἂν ἐκινεῖτο καὶ ἂν περιεπάτει ! ἀλλ' ἡ ἀνατροφή της φαίνεται οσημέραι τελειοποιουμένη. Ὅθεν ἤδη καὶ ὁμιλεῖ καὶ γράφει, καὶ ἀριθμεῖ, καὶ ψάλλει, καὶ χορεύει! Μεθ' ὅλων δὲ τούτων τῶν γυναικείων προτερημάτων δὲν εἶν ̓ ἀπηλλαγμένη καί τινων τῶν προπετῶς ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνδρῶν ὀνομασθέντων γυναικείων ἐλαττωμάτων. Εἶναι, φέρ ̓ εἰπεῖν, λάλος καὶ ἀδιάκριτος, καὶ τῆς γλώσσης, ἢ μᾶλλον τοῦ ποδός, οὐ κρατοῦσα. Οὕτως εἰς ἑσπερινήν ποτε συναναστροφήν, ἀφ ̓ οὗ πολλὰ ἐρωτηθεῖσα ἀπήντησε πρὸς κοινὸν θαυμασμὸν καὶ κοινὴν διασκέδασιν, ἐρωτήθη τέλος καὶ περὶ τῆς ἡλικίας κυρίας τινὸς ἐκ τῶν παρευρισκομένων. Η πονηρὰ τράπεζα ἤγειρε μετά πολλῆς κομψότητος τὸν ἕνα της πόδα, καὶ ἤρχισε κτυπῶσα ἐλαφρῶς τὸ ἔδαφος, προς μεγίστην χαρὰν ἁπάντων, καὶ τῆς κυρίας πρὸ πάντων, ἥτις ἔβλεπεν ἑαυτὴν ἀντικείμενον τῆς κοινῆς προσοχῆς. Καὶ ἐκτύπησεν ἕν, δύο, πέντε, δέκα, καὶ ἡ κυρία ἐγέλα· δεκαπέντε, δεκαεπτά· καὶ ἐγέλα πάντοτε. 'Αλλ' ἡ τράπεζα ἐξηκολούθει, καὶ αἱ ὀφρᾶς τῆς κυρίας ἤρχισαν νὰ συστέλλωνται. Εκτύπησεν εἴκοσι, εἰκοσιέν, καὶ αἱ χεῖρες τῆς κυρίας ἐτάθησαν· εἰκοσιδύο, εἰοσιτρία, εἰκοσιπέντε, καὶ ἡ κυρία μεθ' ὅλης τῆς δυνάμεώς της εβάρυνεν ἐπὶ τῆς τραπέζης· ἀλλὰ τὸ ἀφωρισμένον σκεῦος εξηκολούθει ανένδοτον, εἰκοσιοκτώ, εἰκοσιεννέα, τριάκοντα· καὶ τὸν τελευταῖον αὐτὸν ἀριθμὸν ἐκτύπησε μὲ μεγάλην σφοδρότητα, ὡς κυροῦσα αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀλήθειαν. Συγχρόνως δὲ ἡ προδοθεῖσα τριακοντοῦτις νεάνις ἔπεσεν ἀφ' ἑτέρου ὑπτία καὶ λειποθυμοῦσα, καὶ πάντες ὡμολόγη σαν ὅτι τὰ πειράματα τῶν τραπεζῶν εἰσὶν ἐπικίνδυνα, ὡς προσβάλλοντα τὸ νευρικὸν σύστημα.” "If it only would move and walk about! But its education seems to be improving every day. It already talks and writes, and counts and sings and dances. But with all these feminine accomplishments, it is not free from some of what are impertinently called by men feminine faults. For example, it is talkative, thoughtless, and unable to govern its tongue, or rather its foot. Thus, at an evening party once, after it had answered many interrogatories to the general wonder and diversion, it was finally questioned about the age of one of the ladies present. The mischievous table, with much grace, raised one of its legs, and began striking the floor lightly, to the very great gratification of all, and especially of the lady, who saw herself the object of general attention. It struck one, two, five, ten, and the lady laughed ; fifteen, seventeen, and she continued to laugh. But the table kept on, and the lady's eyebrows began to contract. It struck twenty, twenty-one, and the lady held up her hands; twenty-two, twenty-three, twentyfive, and the lady pressed down on the table with all her might; but the cursed piece of furniture continued obstinately, twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty; and it struck the last number with great force, in confirmation of its truth. But on the other hand, at the same moment, the betrayed thirty-years-old young lady fell backwards in a fainting fit, and all confessed that the experiments of the tables are dangerous, as affecting the nervous system." These illustrations might be indefinitely extended. They show the direction in which the internal changes of the language are making. Some of these new terms are formed strictly according to analogy; others not so happily; but usage soon establishes their validity. The Greek language is a wonderful phenomenon. |