Ossian Collection > Defence of the Scots Highlanders, in general; and some learned characters, in particular

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* recognize them, as to know a perfon la
' a mafk. A modern Englifli word or name,
' when clothed in a Celtic habit, becomes
' as fingular and old-like, as a real Celtic
* word of two thoufand years (landing.*
The Hebrews and old Egyptians contra-
did: Mr. R flatly, for they abufe the modern
Greeks and Romans for their frequent ufe
of tranipofitions and variations of letters, as
well as for their additions to the begin-
nings and ends of words, which have fo
mutilated and corrupted the ancient lan-
guages, as to render them quite unintel-
ligible ; while the Hebrews, Egyptians and
Celts have handed down their languages
unalterably the fame in fpelling and pro-
nunciation ; fo that Mr. P. boldly reverfes
the well-known mode of fpeaking and pro-
nouncing Gaelic, by making it wear a dif-
ferent ma^k from reality.
But the Gaelic, like the Chinefe, is an ori-
ginal language, as may be inferred from the
fmall number of words which it contains,
and which are, at lealt many of them, mo-
nofyllables, as language at firfl; naturally
eonfifts