RADICALS.
Reading edition
Πειθους δ' εστι κελευθος, αληθειη γαρ οπηδει.——PARMENIDES.
The materials, of which I purpose to make use in the following inquiries, are comparatively few, and will be contained within a small compass. They are such as are to be found in the composition of most names, which occur in antient mythology: whether they relate to Deities then reverenced; or to the places, where their worship was introduced. But they appear no where so plainly, as in the names of those places, which were situated in Babylonia and Egypt. From these parts they were, in process of time, transferred to countries far remote; beyond the Ganges eastward, and to the utmost bounds of the Mediterranean west; wherever the sons of Ham under their various denominations either settled or traded. For I have mentioned that this people were great adventurers; and began an extensive commerce in very early times. They got footing in many parts; where they founded cities, which were famous in their day. They likewise erected towers and temples: and upon headlands and promontories they raised pillars for sea-marks to direct them in their perilous expeditions. All these were denominated from circumstances, that had some reference to the religion, which this people professed; and to the ancestors, whence they sprung. The Deity, which they originally worshipped, was the Sun. But they soon conferred his titles upon some of their ancestors: whence arose a mixed worship. They particularly deified the great Patriarch, who was the head of their line; and worshipped him as the fountain of light: making the Sun only an emblem of his influence and power. They called him Bal, and Baal: and there were others of their ancestry joined with him, whom they styled the Baalim. Chus was one of these: and this idolatry began among his sons. In respect then to the names, which this people, in process of time, conferred either upon the Deities they worshipped, or upon the cities, which they founded; we shall find them to be generally made up of some original terms for a basis, such as Ham, Cham, and Chus: or else of the titles, with which those personages were, in process of time, honoured. These were Thoth, Men or Menes, Ab, El, Aur, Ait, Ees or Ish, On, Bel, Cohen, Keren, Ad, Adon, Ob, Oph, Apha, Uch, Melech, Anac, Sar, Sama, Samaïm. We must likewise take notice of those common names, by which places are distinguished, such as Kir, Caer, Kiriath, Carta, Air, Col, Cala, Beth, Ai, Ain, Caph, and Cephas. Lastly are to be inserted the particles Al and Pi; which were in use among the antient Egyptians.
Of these terms I shall first treat; which I look upon as so many elements, whence most names in antient mythology have been compounded; and into which they may be easily resolved: and the history, with which they are attended, will, at all times, plainly point out, and warrant the etymology.
HAM or CHAM.
CHUS.
CANAAN.
MIZRAIM.
NIMROD.
Nebrodem liquere feræ.
Quam Satyri coluere leves, redimitaque sacrâ
Nebride.
The Priests at the Bacchanalia, as well as the Votaries, were habited in this manner.
Comes Ogygio venit Iaccho,
Nebride sacrâ præcincta latus.
Statius describes them in the same habit.
Hic thyrsos, hic plectra ferit.
TITLES of the DEITY.
Theutates.
AB.
Ab signifies a father, similar to אב of the Hebrews. It is often found in composition, as in Ab-El, Ab-On, Ab-Or.
AUR, OUR, OR.
EL.
ON and EON.
AIT.
As Egypt was named Aith, and Ait; so other countries, in which colonies from thence settled, were styled Ethia and Athia. The sons of Chus founded a colony in Colchis; and we find a king of that country named Ait; or, as the Greeks expressed it, Αιητης: and the land was also distinguished by that characteristic. Hence Arete in the Orphic Argonautics, speaking of Medea's returning to Colchis, expresses this place by the terms ηθεα Κολχων:
Lemnos aquis.
Chaonius Molpeus, dextrâ Nabathæus Ethemon.
Ath was sometimes joined to the antient title Herm; which the Grecians, with a termination, made Ἑρμης. From Ath-Herm came Θερμαι, Θερμος, Θερμαινω. These terms were sometimes reversed, and rendered Herm-athena.
AD.
EES and IS.
Tum Salii ad cantus incensa altaria circum.
In like manner the Silaceni of the Babylonians were worshippers of the same Deity, and given to the rites of fire, which accompanied the worship of the Sun.
SAN, SON, ZAN, ZAAN.
The most common name for the Sun was San, and Son; expressed also Zan, Zon, and Zaan. Zeus of Crete, who was supposed to have been buried in that Island, is said to have had the following inscription on his tomb:
Auctorem gentis.
Semon (Sem-On) signifies Cœlestis Sol.
DI, DIO, DIS, DUS.
KUR, ΚYΡΟΣ, CURA.
COHEN, or CAHEN.
Cohen, which seems, among the Egyptians and other Amonians, to have been pronounced Cahen, and Chan, signified a Priest; also a Lord or Prince. In early times the office of a Prince and of a Priest were comprehended under one character.
PETAH.
BEL and BAAL.
KEREN.
OPH.
It is often compounded with Chan; and expressed Canopus, Canophis, Canuphis, Cnuphis, Cneph: it is also otherwise combined; as in Ophon, Ophion, Oropus, Orobus, Inopus, Asopus, Elopus, Ophitis, Onuphis, Ophel. From Caneph the Grecians formed Cyniphius, which they used for an epithet to Ammon:
Mitratum caput elevans arenis.
On the subject of serpent worship I shall speak more at large in a particular treatise.
AIN.
I have mentioned, that all springs and baths were sacred to the Sun: on which account they were called Bal-ain; the fountains of the great Lord of Heaven; from whence the Greeks formed Βαλανεια: and the Romans Balnea. The southern seas abounded formerly with large whales: and it is well known, that they have apertures near their nostrils, through which they spout water in a large stream, and to a great height. Hence they too had the name of Bal-Ain, or Balænæ. For every thing uncommon was by the Amonians consecrated to the Deity, and denominated from his titles. This is very apparent in all the animals of Egypt.
APHA, APHTHA, PTHA, PTHAS.
AST, ASTA, ESTA, HESTIA.
From Asta and Esta come the terms Æstas, Æstus, Æstuo, Αστυ, Ἑστια, Ἑστιαζειν.
SHEM, SHAMEN, SHEMESH.
MACAR.
This was a sacred title given by the Amonians to their Gods; which often occurs in the Orphic hymns, when any Deity is invoked.
The same author shews, manifestly, that it was a proper name; and that the place itself was styled Macrai. This was a contraction for Macar-Ai, or the place of Macar:
All these places were, for a religious reason, so denominated from Macar, a title of the Deity.
MELECH.
ANAC.
Necho, Nacho, Necus, Negus, which in the Egyptian and Ethiopic languages signified a king, probably was an abbreviation of Anaco, and Anachus. It was sometimes expressed Nachi, and Nacchi. The buildings represented at Persepolis are said to be the work of Nacki Rustan; which signifies the lord, or prince Rustan.
ZAR, and SAR.
Ηειρεν.
UCH.
Jam placidus senio, fractisque modestior annis.
Mox et Leucatæ nimbosa cacumina montis,
Μουνη, μαινας, αοιδος, επι ψαμαθοις Αχεροντος.
The term Υκ, of which I have been treating, was obsolete, and scarce known in the times when Greece most flourished: yet some traces of it may be found, though strangely perverted from its original meaning. For the writers of this nation, not knowing the purport of the words, which they found in their antient hymns, changed them to something similar in sound; and thus retained them with a degree of religious, but blind reverence. I have shewn, that of El-Uc they formed Λυκος, Lucus, which was acknowledged to be the name of the Sun: of El-Uc-Aon, Lycaon: of El-Uc-Or, Lycorus, and Lycoreus:
So from Uc-Ait, another title of the God, they formed Hecatus, and a feminine, Hecate. Hence Nicander speaks of Apollo by this title:
And Herophile the Sibyl of the same Deity:
Ὁς ῃδη τα τ' εοντα, τα τ' εσσομενα, προ τ' εοντα.
So on the Trojan side Helenus is spoken of in the same light:
PHI.
AI.
Common Names relating to Places.
As to the common names, which are found combined with additional terms, in order to denote the nature and situation of places; they are, for the most part, similar to those in the antient Chaldaic, and admit of little variation.
Air is a city; often expressed Ar, and Ara. Hence Arachosia, Arachotus, Aracynthus, Arambis, Aramatha (Ar-Ham-aith), Archile, Arzilla, Arthedon: all which were cities, or else regions denominated from them.
Kir, Caer, Kiriath, are words of the like purport. We read in the Scriptures of Kiriath Sepher, Kiriath Arba, Kiriath Jearim. It was in some parts pronounced Kirtha, and Cartha. Melicartus, the Hercules of the Phenicians and Cretans, was, properly, Melech-Carta, the Deity of the place. The city of Tigranes, in Armenia, was called Tigranocerta. One name of Carthage was Καρχηδων, from Car-Chadon, the same as Adon. It was also called Carthada, from Cartha-Ada, the city of the queen or Goddess, who was by the Romans supposed to be Juno, but was, properly, the Amonian Elisa. Caer, among many antient nations, signified a city, or fortress; as we may learn from the places called Carteia, Carnaim, Caronium, Caroura, Carambis. Among the Britons were, of old, places exactly analogous; such as Caerlisle, Caerdiff, Caerphilly, Caernarvon, and Caeruriah in Cornwall.
Comah is used for a wall; but seems to be sometimes taken for those sacred inclosures wherein they had their Puratheia; and particularly for the sacred mount which stood in those inclosures. From Comah came the Greek χωμα, a round hill or mound of earth; called also Taph and ταφος; and thence often mistaken for a tomb: but it was originally a high altar.
Har and Hor signify a mountain; ορος of the Greeks.
BETH.
It is said of Horapollo by Suidas, that he was a native of Phainubuth in Egypt, belonging to the nome of Panopolis: Ὡραπολλων Φαινυβυθεως κωμης του Πανοπολιτου Νομου. Phainubuth is only Phainabeth varied, and signifies the place sacred to Phanes; which was one of the most antient titles of the Deity in Egypt. So Pharbeth was an abbreviation of Pharabeth, or the house of Pharaoh.
GAU, expressed CAU, CA, and CO.
Coilum prospexit stellis fulgentibus aptum. Olim de Coilo laivum dedit inclytus signum. Saturnus, quem Coilus genuit. Unus erit, quem tu tollas in Coirila Coili Templa.
Καρτιστοι μεν εσαν, και καρτιστοις εμαχοντο
Φηρσιν ορεσχωοισι——
PARTICLES.
Inventumque focis.
That this word Puer was originally Pur may be proved from a well known passage in Lucretius:
Somno devincti credunt se attollere vestem.
These are terms, which seem continually to occur in the antient Amonian history: out of these most names are compounded; and into these they are easily resolvable. There are some few more, which might perhaps be very properly introduced: but I am unwilling to trespass too far, especially as they may be easily taken notice of in the course of this work. I could wish that my learned readers would afford me so far credit, as to defer passing a general sentence, till they have perused the whole: for much light will accrue; and fresh evidence be accumulated in the course of our procedure. A history of the rites and religion, in which these terms are contained, will be given; also of the times, when they were introduced; and of the people, by whom they were diffused so widely. Many positions, which may appear doubtful, when they are first premised, will, I hope, be abundantly proved, before we come to the close. In respect to the etymologies, which I have already offered and considered, I have all along annexed the histories of the persons and places spoken of, in order to ascertain my opinion concerning them. But the chief proof, as I have before said, will result from the whole; from an uniform series of evidence, supported by a fair and uninterrupted analogy.