Ossian Collection > Report of the Committee of the Highland Society of Scotland, appointed to inquire into the nature and authenticity of the poems of Ossian

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NOTES. 263
mentof the Consular Government (A. A. C. 505.) So late
even as the year 260 before the Christian era, wnen the
Columna rostrata was erected, the Roman language, as ap-
pears from the inscription upon it (Graev. Thesaur. Ant.
Rom. Tom. IV. p. ISIO.) differed widely from what it
was afterwards in the age of Julius Caesar. And it de-
serves our special notice that its ablative case bears the ge-
nuine Celtic form — Pucnandod, Prsedad, instead of Pug-
nando, Praeda. It is also a siugnlar coincidence that al-
though the Gaelic orthography has hitherto preserved the
concluding //, it is never sounded — Cogadh, creachadh, be-
ing universally pronounced Coga, creacha. And it may
be remarked, that the more ancient form of the Latin geni-
tive of the first declension — Aulai, Pennai — is purely Gae-
lic ; the genitive case of Mala, Fionna, being Malai,
Fionnai.
As the Romans were gradually extending their dominion
over the states of Italy, and uniting themselves with its se-
veral nations, they seem (Quintil. L. I. c. 9.) to have
adopted more or less of the language of each. And as an-
cient authoi-s (Herodot. Dionys. Halicarnass. Plin. Flor.
Tacit.) inform us, that Ceks, Slculi or Sicani, Lydians or
Tyrrheni, Pelas;^i, and Greeks of various denomination,
were established there before the Roman state whs founded,
so, the accuracy of history, in recording this mixture of
jrace, is proved by the mixt aspect of the Latin language ;
whicli was formed, in process of time, from many discord-
ant tongues iato an harmonious and comprehensive whole.
For its groundwork is acknowledged to be the Greek of
Eolia, (from which the primitive Romans should seem to
have sprung,) into whose polished form the mulitude of
Celtic and Oriental roots are so completely moulded, that it
requires a critical eye to distihguish them. 'vufiMm %\ (p*»^'»
'* Romanl vero sermoue nee prorsus barbaro nee absolute
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