OF THE COMPARATIVE GRAMMAR OF THE INDO-EUROPEAN, SANSKRIT, GREEK AND LATIN TRÜBNER & CO., 57 AND 59, LUDGATE HILL. 1874. All rights reserved. TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE. THIS book is a translation of those parts of Schleicher's 'Compendium der vergleichenden Grammatik der Indogermanischen sprachen' which treat directly of the Indo-European original language, Sanskrit, Greek, and Latin: it was undertaken for the use of students of Greek and Latin Philology, on the suggestion of Mr. Peile, M.A., of Christ's College, Cambridge, to whom I am indebted for several hints and corrections. My thanks are due to Herr Gustav Voigt also, for help kindly given. I shall be glad if readers will point out any mistakes in the translation. LIVERPOOL COLLEGE, Oct. 1874. HERBERT BENDALL. PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. THIS work is meant to be an elementary handbook for lectures and self-instruction. The want of such a work has been hitherto widely felt. The state of IndoEuropean Philology is now such that it has become possible to write a compendium of the comparative grammar of the Indo-European languages. After we have discarded that part which is still doubtful, there remains a large store of knowledge, embracing the different sides which language offers to scientific treatment: this knowledge will, in my opinion, stand unshaken for all time. The chief object of a compendium of the Indo-European languages is to collect and arrange in a short and appropriate form, and yet in an intelligible manner, these results of Indo-European Philology. Where, however, it is impossible to avoid mentioning what is obscure and doubtful, it will be expressly characterized as such. It is no slight task to compose a first handbook of this kind treating of the formation of the Indo-European languages: whether the writer of the present work has succeeded in temporarily satisfying the want, others must decide; but he begs them to take it into consideration that his book is a first essay in the direction pointed out. |