Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 8.djvu/288

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NOTES AND QUERIES, [ii s. VH. APRIL 12, 1913.

third century. The earliest instance of ft = v I remember at the moment is in the second century, where /3iariK6v = viaticum occurs in a letter written from Italy. That the date is determined merely by the hand robs the evidence of some of its value for our purpose, and certainly the equivalence ov = v is the prevailing one in the second century, the instance of J3 = v just quoted being the only exception I remember, though there may be other isolated examples. By the fourth century (3=v had become completely established. The use of ov does, indeed, occur sporadically after ft has become usual ; but this is no doubt to be explained by supposing that words in which it occurs had been borrowed at a period when v still retained its w sound. This is well seen in ' Berl. Gr. Urk.,' 316, Written at Ascalon in A.D. 359, where we get &X(aowo<s) BiraAiavbg ^tap^os oveeAA[aTtWos] ITTTTCWV KaTOK^paKTapioov, and Ba/otov (Varium) rpiftovvov. Vexillatio had been taken over early, and still retained its ov spelling. Not, indeed, for ever ; even in an earlier papyrus, P. Gen. 62, dated in A.D. 346, we get /2fciAaTiWos. The change of pronuncia- tion is again illustrated by the word vicarius. In A.D. 161 (' Berl. Gr. Urk.,' ^102) we get o]viKapios ; in later times /3t*a/)ios is the invariable form. So, too, * Berl. Gr. Urk.,' 600 (A,D. 120-140), has o7;?7ftAA(cmWos) <(eKaTovTa/ox i ' a s) OviKropos ( = Victoria) ; imt in the Byzantine period Bt/crw/o is the an exception ; it was in all periods trans- literated ^Aaovios or (fairly often in the sixth and seventh centuries) &\avio<s, though ^Aa/^ios may possibly occur now and again. I certainly remember a <l ) Aa/3i'a = Flavia as the name of a legion.
 * Berliner Griechische Urkunden,' 423, of
 * in variable form. The name Flavius is

Schubart has recently published in Klio (xiii. Heft 1) a Latin-Greek-Coptic conversa- tion-book of the sixth century, in which the ft==v equivalence is established without challenge. We find here such spellings (the Greek script is used for all three languages) as /3ovXTi<$ = vultis, /3ws = ^os. Interesting for the pronunciation of qu (see, e.g., 10 S. ix. 353) are such transliterations as Kovo8=

In view of the above evidence, I do not think it can admit of a doubt that in the classical period v was pronounced w. What- ever discount we must allow 1 for scribal 'Conservatism (and this applies less than in most cases, for in the majority of instances

we have to do with Greek scribes, ignorant of Latin, and writing Latin words phonetic- ally), this w pronunciation must have con- tinued in use till at least well into the second century. It may be very regrettable that Caesar should have said " Waynee, Weedee, weekee," but however much we may disapprove, we must allow that ho did so.

In conclusion, I may call attention to Wessely's article ' Die lateinischen Elemente in der Grazitat der agyptischen Papyrus- urkunden ' in " Wiener Studien," xxiv., p. 99 ff. This contains a very full list of Latin words found in Greek papyri pub- lished up to the date of the article. The list could now be extended. H. I. B.

A LINK WITH THE PAST : BURIAL OF ARTHUR HALLAM. On 1 March, 1913, there died at Clevedon Mr. George Lee, F.R.H.S., who, if he had lived to 21 March, Would have celebrated thereon his ninety- sixth birthday. It may be considered Worthy of record in ' N. & Q.' that he was a witness of the funeral of Arthur Hallam in 1833, and that, according to The Clevedon Mercury, there is still living another resident of Clevedon who was also a witness of it. This paper says, in its issue of 8 March, 1913, that Arthur Hallam 's funeral was " a most impressive spectacle." Mr. George Lee's

" father, who was one of the bearers, had informed his son that the coffin weighed about 6 cwt., and that they had a most difficult task to lower it into the vault at the Parish Church."

Mr. Lee was a market gardener and florist, and was described by the same paper in March, 1878, as

" the cultivator of the now celebrated ' Victoria Regina ' violet, a flower which is matchless both in its beauty and perfume."

PENRY LEWIS. Quisisana, Walton by Clevedon.

FIRST MENTION OF JEWS IN IRELAND. The first mention of Jews in Ireland appears to be that recorded in ' The Annals of Innis- fallen,' anno 1079 : " Four Jews came over sea, and gifts with them, to Thurnlough, and they were driven back over sea." The date Would seem to imply that these Jews Were amongst those brought over from Rouen by William I.

From an entry in the Pipe Rolls, it appears that the expedition of Strongbow to Ireland in 1170, which later led to the conquest of the island, was financed by a Jew, one Josce of Gloucester.

WILLIAM MACARTHUR.