Note 26 — PART I. (continued 2)

1. The determination of the language to which the name of any nation mentioned in history belongs is of primary importance. Perhaps there is not one fourth of the tribes described by writers, either ancient or modern, whereof the name is native; e.g., the terms Welsh and German are unknown in Wales and Germany; whilst an Englishman is a Saxon in the Principality and in Ireland. For ascertaining whether a name be native or not the two following rules are useful.

Rule 1. When two different nations speak of a third by the same name the primâ facie evidence is in favour of that name being the native one.

Rule 2. When one nation speaks of two others under the same name, the primâ facie evidence is against that name being the native one.

Thus, according to Rule 1, if a Chinese and a Greek each call a tribe which invades their country, Hun, it is nearly certain that the invading tribe called itself Hun also. Of course, in cases, where the two nations using the common term might have borrowed it one of another, or from a third language, the probabilities are modified. Still the general rule holds good.

The second rule may be illustrated by the term Welsh. It is given by the nations of the Gothic stock to the Cambrians of Wales, the Italians of Italy, and the Wallachians of Wallachia. We know that with none of these it is native. I consider, however, that, given the geographical position of Germany, Wales, Italy, and Wallachia, the same might have been inferred.