Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 10.djvu/470

 462

NOTES AND QUERIES. [9 th s. x. DEO. 13, 1902.

of French origin, except words like ghost, most, which started with O.E. a. Compare, for instance, the French words coast, roast, toast, post, host, with the English words frost, lost. From this argument we may infer that the etymology of *' boast" must be sought in France, and I have no doubt that some day we shall find an O.F. boster (in some dialect boter) the source of the English word.

6. Notch. This word is rightly connected with M.E. ochen, O.F. ocher, to cut as a tally, to notch. It may be added that ocher should be equated with Lat. occare, " secare, scindere " (Ducange). The word "occare" may pro- bably be a derivative of Lat. occa, a narrow (see Napier's 'O.E. Glosses,' 2359).

7. Stanch (to stop a flow). All that is certain about this word is that it is the same as O.F. estancher, Lat. stancare (Ducange). The hypothesis of a type *stagnicdre (to cause to stagnate) is inadmissible. There is no example of the verbal suffix -icdre having a causative value. We find no trace of such a value in the Latin albicdre, claudicdre, candicdre, fodicdre. The suggestion must be rejected also on phonetic grounds. A Lat. stagnicare would have appeared in Old French as estaincher, with the vocalization of the palatal. The Lat. stancare is probably a verbal derivative of stanca, a tank, " id quo aqua continetur" (Ducange). See Hatz- feld's ' Diet.,' s.v. e'tancher.

COMESTOR OXONIENSIS.

A BASK SCHOOLGIRL'S LETTERS.

THE following letters from a Bask girl at a conventual school at Anglet, in the Depart- ment of the Basses Pyrenees in the French Republic, were handed to me by her family at Ahetze in the same region, with permission to publish them. I add a literal translation. The original manuscripts are now in the Bodleian Library, Oxford (MS. Basque e. 5). I have put z instead of cedillated c in some words. The Baskish language is now spoken by about a million people in France and Spain, about the northern spurs of the Pyrenean Mountains, in the French colonies, Spanish America, and California. It is in less danger than Gaelic.

J.M. J. Notre Dame le 29 9 bre 1898.

Ene etcheco maiteac, Lettra ttipi hau heldu da zuen ganat ene berrien zueri emaiteco, eta dembora berean hemengo besta ederraren gainean cembeit berriren emaiteco. Ni arras ontsa niz, Yainco Maiteari esker, eta desiratcen dut zuec ere hala izaitea oral eta bethi. Cousina ere ontsa da. Yuan den larumbatian zortci gure Ama Yeneralaren besta cen. Commentu gucia larumbatian, igandian eta aste lehenian bestan cen, eta gouc ere hirur egun (1) horietan bacantza izan dugu. Ma mere izan da

hemen gan (2) den larumbatian, eta erran daut ban utci (3) taulier gorria eta liburua igprrico tuela Annarentcat. Hasparneco tantari iskiriatu dacot, Ma sceur Maxenci er6 ba, eta erraten nion zuen parthez goraintci, eta ama yuanen dela haren ikhusterat neguaren hastian Guantipienecoekin. Nic ust<$ harrituac zaisten (4) ez lehenago iskriatzias ; bainan badakizue ez tuala (5) bethi dembora hasteco. Esta libre astelehenetan (6) iskriatcea ; eta igandeco eguna hartzen dut aste guzian ikhasi leccionen errepasatceco. Ene ama maitea, errozu Annari faltaric gabe eguin dezan lettra hunen arrapostia igandia baino lehen, eta particulaski etzaciela erakuts lettra hau nehori, ceren eta sobera gaiski iskiriatuya baita, eta presan eguina baitut batere kasnric eguin gab6 ; bainan ez erakuts. Bonne Sceur Philomenen parthez milaca goraintci, eta Jeanne Marien parthez, eta milaca goraintci Mariari, eta yoaiteco (7) eguin hala fit4 haren ikhusterat. Presentatuco duzue ene errespectuac Yaun Erretorari, Serorei, M me Dufauri, eta milaca goraintci Mariari, Yannetari, Amachiri, Annari, ene ahaide guciei, eta ez tuala (5) nehor ahanzten ene othoicetan. Orai usten zaituztet ene etcheco maiteac Yesusen eta Mariaren bihotz aacratuetan. Zuen alaba, maite zaitustena, Franoise Sommeil- lant. P.S. Macallau olioaren hartcen hasia niz egun.

(1) The original has egunen.

(2) A variety of yuan or of igan.

(3) A word such as dudan has been left out.

(4) A popular shortening of zaitezten ; zaitestela would be better.

(5) Short for tudala=dudala.

(6) The original is libro astelehunetan.

(7) A word has been left out, perhaps naizela.

Translation. Jesus, Mary, Joseph ! Our Lady's Convent,

the 29th November, 1898.

My dear ones at home, this little letter comes to youwards to give you my news, and at the same time to give some news upon the beautiful festival here (celebrated). I am altogether well, thanks to the dear God, and I desire you being so also now and alway. The cousin also is well. On last Saturday eight (night) it was the festival of our Mother General. All the convent was on holiday on the Saturday, the Sunday, and the Monday, and we too on those three days had a holiday. Ma mere was here last Saturday, and told me that she would send for Anna the book and the red apron (which I) left there. I have written to the aunt at Hasparren, and to Sister Maxence also, and I was saying compliments to her on your behalf, and that mother will go to see her at the beginning of winter with the people of Juantipiene. I think you were astonished at (my) not writing before ; but you know well that I have not always time to begin. One is not free to write on Mondays ; and I take the Sunday for repeating lessons learned during the whole week. My dear mother, tell Anna to make the answer to this letter without fail before Sunday, and particularly do not show this letter to any one, because it is written excessively badly, and 1 have made it in a hurry without paying any attention ; but do not show it. On behalf of good Sister Philomene greetings by the thousand, and on behalf