ABBREVIATIONS . = Cp. compare. fi = 1 er n. fina . Germ . au sla utend , pertaining to a letter t n minati g a word . = ini i al G e m a u e fi s e of . init , r . nl a t nd , r t lett r word = inl m e e m of . Ger . inl au tend , l tt r in iddle word = H . G . High G erman . L . Germ an . = m M . H . G . M iddl e High G er an . = a M d . G . M idl and Germ n . = M M e a e m a . od . H . G . odern or Lit r ry High G r n E = En 0 . O l d gl i l h. = O . F. O l d Fris i an . = O . Ir. 01d Iris h . N = 0 . O l d Norse. = O . S . O l d S axon . = O . Sc . 01d Scandinavi an . = an andi na ian . Sc . or Sc d . Sc v = Skt . Sanskrit . = Sw . Swabian . r-=a e ma efi mea n m e f U G r n pr x, ni g pri itiv , . in st : Urg. m meaning primitive Ger an , W = e ma es t . G . w at Ger nic . ER M AN I DI G O ALECTS . 1 There are different opinion s concerning t he divis ion of - L the Indo Germa nic l angua ges . es kien believes tha t the origina l language from which the sepa ra te "a d o-G ermanic l angua ges are s upposed to h ave s prung firs t divid ed itself into three different dialects or branches : ( 1 ) T he s a c s s o f a s k Z e and A i ti , con i ting S n rit , nd Ar m enian the a e ia e ts of a e s a and me a , nci nt d l c Indi , P r i Ar ni ; 2 the t ea m s G eek 2 e t and ( ) Sou h Europ n , co pri ing r , C l ic a nd 3 the N E ea ai i e m a and Latin ; ( ) orth urop n , cont n ng G r nic - Sl a vo Letti c. 1 Concerning the question of the ori gin and prim itive seat of the - m a ic ace o . ad S r b r l i hu u nd U r Indo G er n r , n O Schr er, p ac ve g e c ng n 1 4 . l a h i i nd geschichte, Je a 883 , p . 4 2 s qq ; a s o C non T ayl or, T e O r g n a " Prim itive S eat of the Ary ans i n The Journal of the Anthropol . In st . d l a d . l . ii 8 . of G r . B ritain an Ire n Vo xxv , London 1 88 . p . 238 sqq 2 h k a e m a h Al a i N ext to t e Gree l ngu ag y be m entioned t e b n an , i T a th e l anguage of anc en t Il l y ria . he true ch aracter of this l angu ge ha s not yet been ful l y ascertained, p hil ol ogists m eeting with great troubl e i n s ep arating p ure Al banian words from those borrowed from ati R m a ce l a ic and T kis l a a es . addi G reek . L n , o n . S von ur h ngu g In tion to thi s the ol dest m onum ents of any extent d ate onl y since the N i a i l s ke seventeenth centu ry . otw thst nd ng . the I l yrians m ust h ave p o n ff i c sid e a l f m a f h G eeks as T ne a l anguage di er ng on r b y ro th t o t e r , h y l ib . 1 cal l s the l l ia s a a ia s . C . G s e e Al did es , , I yr n b rb r n p u tav M y r, e W n 188 - banesische Studi n , ie , 3 84. 4 G er m a ni c Di a l ects . Among these different m emb ers S an skrit i s acknowledged d as unp a ra lleled in a ntiquity a nd dis tinctnes s of s tructure an as bearing the clos es t res embl a nce t o the prehi s toric p aren t 1 s the s peech . It con equently forms for com p ar ative philology na a as s of ea l an tur l b i comparison . For the South Europ n gu ages G reek forms the best connecting link with San skrit ; for the ea a - et e e t i s the North Europ n , Sl vo L tic ; whil C l ic organic link between the North and South E uropea n groups . m a e Joh . Schmidt claim s th at only two dialects firs t d s the f a at their appea ra nce. Thi theory i s s upported by ct th the Indo -G erm a nic la ngu ages of North and South Europe h ave s ome ch aracteris tic features in com m on wit h each ether as a dis tinctive difference from the As i atic group 1 f m ea e e e e e a the ( ) In uni or ity w ith ch oth r , th y ith r r t in “ old a s ound or s how it in its weaken ed form as e or z , while Old Indi an and Old Pers i an a s a rule retain in the s a me ases the a a a nd s the eake of a c origin l , how w nin g kt . and Z e to i only in a very limited m ea s ure. S nd ’ d a s a n G r d éu a Lat . d ecem e . d e . t . d esz zm t G . , . , , C lt g , Li h , oth ' ta i hu n . G . teha n G e m . z ehn E n . ten Skt. m a tr e , O H , r , g ; , L m a er m a er m a tha i r G r . at, t , Sl avonic t , Celt. , m er 0 . H . G . u ot . ( 2) T hey s how s om e uniform ity in ch anging origin al r i nto l which l a tter letter i s not a m ember of the origin a l “ ” ' - m l k r olca s kev u o Indo G er anic a ph abet. S t . light , G r . s, w hi te La t . tu m tu c is . l oche t . Za u ka s B l u ca , , , O Ir , Li h , O . ulg. ; ” “ - - xké m La cl u o . c l r Skt . cm ea G r . t . O . ea G . , to h r , , , Ir , oth ” - - - - - “ hl o s e m a kl a u s a n a . , Sl v . , I he r 3 ) They u s e in common s om e prepos itions in a m ea ning a ltogether different from wh a t the s am e words i n S an s krit ’ ' e : G r a n Lat a m b indicat but . w , . G . ‘ mbz . u , Celt 4 T e al l a e a v a a s m a ea t e ( ) h y h v oc bul ry, i il r to ch o h r, in terms relating to a higher state of agriculture which is w ant ing in S an skrit. ( 5) T he common n ame for s alt of the E uropean groups ‘ s om e es ects G eek Lati and e e ial l In r p r , n , s p c y Lithuani an show m o e a c aic for m s t a e v en a r r h h n S nskrit, yet Speaking in 8. general way the above statement is correct. Ger m a ni c Di a l ects . 5 es a ea the a an do not pp r in Old Indi n d Pers ia n l angu ages . “ ” ( 6) T he ao -ca lled G erm a n La u tvers chiebung i s in s m e s not ed the s a t s m of k o word condition by con on n i S an s rit , “ ” b u t by th a t of the other E uropean l anguages : the It of Low “ ” ' ' G e m a c i s e e f m the m e a e o e ao r n d riv d ro di ( g . y ) b ut not fr m t he a s a a of the a sk t a ha m o pir t S n ri ( ) . From this i t s eem s prob able th a t the Indo -G erma nic fam il y - of l a ngu a ges s plit origin ally into two di alects which m ay be am ed a f e t e at e om e the s a and n t r h ir l r h , A i tic European ; a nd th a t t he com m on fa m ily s epa r a ted before its people had entered the ao -c a l led s econd s t ate o f c iviliz ation ; but t h a t the m em e s of t he E ea a w e l w b r urop n br nch re s til united , hen they a e the m a c fe for at o f a l t e and ch ng d no di li th gricu ur , when e f s a t s m e f m t e a E th y ound l in o or on h ir w y to urope.