CHAPTER II. GRIMM'S LAW. 16. I. IF the same roots or the same words exist in Sanskrit, Greek, Latin, Keltic, Slavonic, Lithuanian, Gothic,1 and Old High German, then, wherever the Sanskrit or Greek has an aspirate the Gothic has the corresponding flat mute. II. If in Sanskrit, Greek, &c., we find a flat mute, then we find a corresponding sharp mute in Low German, and a corresponding aspirate in High German. III. If the six first-named languages show a sharp mute, the Gothic shows the corresponding aspirate, and Old High German the corresponding flat mute. TABLE OF COMPARATIVE Sounds. * Gothic is here taken as the best representative of the Low German and Scandinavian dialects, and Old High German of the other division of the Teutonic languages. *Not always regular. Sanskrit. ILLUSTRATIONS OF GRIMM'S LAW. 1. Sansk. bh; Gr. ; Lat. f(b); Goth. b; O. H. Ger. p. Greek. Latin. Gothic. O. H. Ger. English. Zend. bar (=bhar) pápos (plough)... forare. poran prechan (Ger. break. brechen) .......... bore. |