languages spoken by Cardinal Mezzofanti
489
I shall endeavour, therefore, to divide the languages ascribed to him into four different classes.
¬First, languages certainly spoken by Cardinal Mezzofanti with a perfection rare in foreigners.
¬Secondly, languages which is he said to have spoken well, but as to which the evidence of sufficient trial is not so complete.
Thirdly, languages which he spoke freely, but less perfectly.
¬Fourthly, languages in which he could merely express himself and initiate a conversation I shall
add : -
¬Fifthly, certain other languages which he had studied from books, but does not apjpear to have
spoken.
¬And lastly, dialects of the principal languages. This order, of course, precludes all idea of a scientific classification* of the languages according to families.
I. - Languages frequently tested, and spoken with rare excellence.
¬1 Hebrew (Supra, p. 283, 341, 345,371.)
¬2 Babbinical Hebrew (283,341.)
¬3 Arabic, (283,371,441.)
¬4 Chaldee, (278, 384, 362, 451.)
¬5 Coptic, (311,441,451.)
¬6 Ancient Armenian, (352, 441.)
¬7 Modern Armenian, (352, 441.)
¬8 Persian, (278, 352, 394.)
¬9 Turkish,(226, 31 1,393, 441.)
¬10 Albanese, (362,393,451.)
¬1 1 Maltese, (336, 362.)
¬12 Greek, (353.)
¬13 Romaic, (353.)
¬14 Latin, (201, 347.)
¬15 Italian, (passim.)
¬16 Spanish, (276, 312, 441.)
¬17 Portuguese, (337, 367.)
18 French, (271, 276, 387.)
¬19 German, (239, 250, 271, 277, 281, 325, 345, 346, 393.)
¬20 Swedish,(271, 272, 350. 35 1 .)
¬21 Danish, (239,281.)
¬22 Dutch, (328,330, 332.)
¬23 Flemish, (324, 328. )
¬24 English, (223, 226, 228, 348, 403.)
¬25 Illyrian, (393, 441.)
¬26 Russian, (244, 442, 443.)
¬27 Polish, (328, 444, 447.)
¬28 Czechish, or Bohemian, (246, 233.)
¬29 Magyar, (242, 389, 391.)
¬30 Chinese, (309, 310, 365, 368, 369, 451.
¬
II. - Stated to have been spoken fluently, hut hardly sufficiently tested.
¬
1 Syriac, (354, 364.)
¬2 Geez, (383, 385, 394.)
¬3 Amarinna, (384, 385, 334.)
¬4 Hindostani, (864, 866.)
¬5 Guzarattee, 367.
¬6 Basque, (393, 388.)
¬7 Walachian, (216, 244.)
¬8 Californian, (355-7.J
¬9 Algonquin, (360-1).
III. Spoken rarely, and less perfectly.
¬
1 Koordish, (394, 451.)
¬2 Georgian, (251, 394.)
¬3 Servian (the dialects of Bos¬nia and of the Bannat,) 394.
¬4 Balgarian, (365, 393 441.)
¬5 Gipsy language, (244.)
¬6 Peguan, (364, 418. 451.)
¬7 Welsh, (320, 322, 323.)
¬8 Angolese, (370, 394,)
¬9 Mexican. (441.)
¬10 Chilian, (441.)
¬11 Peruvian, (441.)
IV. Spoken imperfectly ; - a few sentences and conversational forms.
¬
1 Cingalese, (363.)
¬2 Birmese, (270, 463)
¬3 Japanese, (463.)
¬4 Irish, (442.)
¬5 Gaelic, (424.)
¬6 Chippewa Indian, (360.)
¬7 Delaware, (360.)
¬8 Some of the languages of Oce¬anica, (441.)
¬
V. Studied from books, hut not known to have been spoken.
¬
1 Sanscrit, (291, 394.)
¬2 Malay, (464.)
¬3 Tonquinese, (463.)
¬4 Cochin.Chinese, (463.)
¬5 Tibetan, (465.)
¬6 Japanese, (463.)
¬7 Icelandic, (464.)
¬8 Lappish, (394.)
¬9 Ruthenian, (311.)
10 Frisian, (282.)
¬11 Lettish, (394,451.)
¬12 Cornish,(old British of Corn¬wall,) (280)
¬13 Quichua, (ancient Peruvian,) ¬(281.)
¬14 Bimbarra (Central African,) ¬(281)
¬
VI. - Dialects spoken, or their peculiarities understood
¬
1 . HEBREW.
¬Samaritan, (416.)
¬2. ARABIC
¬Syrian dialect (fluently, 371.)
Egyptian do., (311.)
Moorish, (171.)
Berber, (463.)
¬3.- CHINESE.
¬Kiang-Si dialect, (416.)
Hu-quam do., (416.)
¬4. - ITALIAN.
¬Sicilian, (324, 354.)
Sardinian, (158-9.)
Neapolitan, f324.)
Bolognese, (247, 344.)
Lombard, (464.)
Friulese, (464.)
¬
5 SPANISH
¬Catalan, (441.)
Valencian, (441.)
Majorican, (441.)
¬6. - BASQUE.
¬Labourdain, (887-8.)
Souletin, (387.)
Guipuscoan, (388.)
¬7 MAGYAR.
¬Debreczeny, (391.)
Eperies, (391.)
Pesth,(391.)
Transylvanian, (491.)
¬8. GERMAN.
¬Ancient Gothic, (464.)
¬Rhetian (Grisons,) (Appendix.)
¬Sette Communt dialect, (218.) Dialects of Northern and Southern Germany, (243.
¬9. FRENCH.
¬Provençal, (275.)
Tolosan, (4400
Burgundian, (444.)
Gascon, (463.)
¬Bearnais, (440.) •
Lorraine, (463.)
Bas Breton, (439.)
¬10. - ENGLISH.
¬Somersetshire, Yorkshire, and ¬Lancashire dialects, (404.)
Lowland Scotch, (437.)
I should add that many of these dialects, as the Moorish and Berber Arabic, the Spanish of Majorca, the Provenсal French, the Italian of Sicily and Sardinia, and the language of the Grisons or Graubünden, might most justly be described as separate languages, at least as regards the difficulty of acquisition. In the catalogue of the Cavaliere Minarelli a series of languages (the very names of which the reader probably never has heard,) are enumerated, chiefly of the central and South American families - of the former, the Cora, the Tepehuana, the Mistek, the Othomi,
the Maya ; of the latter, the Paraguay, the Omagua, the Aymara, the Canisiana, and the Mobima. I am not aware of the authority on which the Cavaliere relies in reference to these languages. For the majority of them, I must say that I cannot find in the catalogue of the Cardinal's library any distinct trace whatever of his having studied them ; but it is certain that he had given his attention early to the languages of these countries ; that he had opportunities in Bologna of conversing with ex- Jesuit missionaries from the central and South American provinces ; and that the library of the Propaganda, of which he had the unrestricted use, contains many printed and manuscript elementary works in languages of which ¬little trace is elsewhere to be found.
I shall endeavour, therefore, to divide the languages ascribed to him into four different classes.
¬First, languages certainly spoken by Cardinal Mezzofanti with a perfection rare in foreigners.
¬Secondly, languages which is he said to have spoken well, but as to which the evidence of sufficient trial is not so complete.
Thirdly, languages which he spoke freely, but less perfectly.
¬Fourthly, languages in which he could merely express himself and initiate a conversation I shall
add : -
¬Fifthly, certain other languages which he had studied from books, but does not apjpear to have
spoken.
¬And lastly, dialects of the principal languages. This order, of course, precludes all idea of a scientific classification* of the languages according to families.
I. - Languages frequently tested, and spoken with rare excellence.
¬1 Hebrew (Supra, p. 283, 341, 345,371.)
¬2 Babbinical Hebrew (283,341.)
¬3 Arabic, (283,371,441.)
¬4 Chaldee, (278, 384, 362, 451.)
¬5 Coptic, (311,441,451.)
¬6 Ancient Armenian, (352, 441.)
¬7 Modern Armenian, (352, 441.)
¬8 Persian, (278, 352, 394.)
¬9 Turkish,(226, 31 1,393, 441.)
¬10 Albanese, (362,393,451.)
¬1 1 Maltese, (336, 362.)
¬12 Greek, (353.)
¬13 Romaic, (353.)
¬14 Latin, (201, 347.)
¬15 Italian, (passim.)
¬16 Spanish, (276, 312, 441.)
¬17 Portuguese, (337, 367.)
18 French, (271, 276, 387.)
¬19 German, (239, 250, 271, 277, 281, 325, 345, 346, 393.)
¬20 Swedish,(271, 272, 350. 35 1 .)
¬21 Danish, (239,281.)
¬22 Dutch, (328,330, 332.)
¬23 Flemish, (324, 328. )
¬24 English, (223, 226, 228, 348, 403.)
¬25 Illyrian, (393, 441.)
¬26 Russian, (244, 442, 443.)
¬27 Polish, (328, 444, 447.)
¬28 Czechish, or Bohemian, (246, 233.)
¬29 Magyar, (242, 389, 391.)
¬30 Chinese, (309, 310, 365, 368, 369, 451.
¬
II. - Stated to have been spoken fluently, hut hardly sufficiently tested.
¬
1 Syriac, (354, 364.)
¬2 Geez, (383, 385, 394.)
¬3 Amarinna, (384, 385, 334.)
¬4 Hindostani, (864, 866.)
¬5 Guzarattee, 367.
¬6 Basque, (393, 388.)
¬7 Walachian, (216, 244.)
¬8 Californian, (355-7.J
¬9 Algonquin, (360-1).
III. Spoken rarely, and less perfectly.
¬
1 Koordish, (394, 451.)
¬2 Georgian, (251, 394.)
¬3 Servian (the dialects of Bos¬nia and of the Bannat,) 394.
¬4 Balgarian, (365, 393 441.)
¬5 Gipsy language, (244.)
¬6 Peguan, (364, 418. 451.)
¬7 Welsh, (320, 322, 323.)
¬8 Angolese, (370, 394,)
¬9 Mexican. (441.)
¬10 Chilian, (441.)
¬11 Peruvian, (441.)
IV. Spoken imperfectly ; - a few sentences and conversational forms.
¬
1 Cingalese, (363.)
¬2 Birmese, (270, 463)
¬3 Japanese, (463.)
¬4 Irish, (442.)
¬5 Gaelic, (424.)
¬6 Chippewa Indian, (360.)
¬7 Delaware, (360.)
¬8 Some of the languages of Oce¬anica, (441.)
¬
V. Studied from books, hut not known to have been spoken.
¬
1 Sanscrit, (291, 394.)
¬2 Malay, (464.)
¬3 Tonquinese, (463.)
¬4 Cochin.Chinese, (463.)
¬5 Tibetan, (465.)
¬6 Japanese, (463.)
¬7 Icelandic, (464.)
¬8 Lappish, (394.)
¬9 Ruthenian, (311.)
10 Frisian, (282.)
¬11 Lettish, (394,451.)
¬12 Cornish,(old British of Corn¬wall,) (280)
¬13 Quichua, (ancient Peruvian,) ¬(281.)
¬14 Bimbarra (Central African,) ¬(281)
¬
VI. - Dialects spoken, or their peculiarities understood
¬
1 . HEBREW.
¬Samaritan, (416.)
¬2. ARABIC
¬Syrian dialect (fluently, 371.)
Egyptian do., (311.)
Moorish, (171.)
Berber, (463.)
¬3.- CHINESE.
¬Kiang-Si dialect, (416.)
Hu-quam do., (416.)
¬4. - ITALIAN.
¬Sicilian, (324, 354.)
Sardinian, (158-9.)
Neapolitan, f324.)
Bolognese, (247, 344.)
Lombard, (464.)
Friulese, (464.)
¬
5 SPANISH
¬Catalan, (441.)
Valencian, (441.)
Majorican, (441.)
¬6. - BASQUE.
¬Labourdain, (887-8.)
Souletin, (387.)
Guipuscoan, (388.)
¬7 MAGYAR.
¬Debreczeny, (391.)
Eperies, (391.)
Pesth,(391.)
Transylvanian, (491.)
¬8. GERMAN.
¬Ancient Gothic, (464.)
¬Rhetian (Grisons,) (Appendix.)
¬Sette Communt dialect, (218.) Dialects of Northern and Southern Germany, (243.
¬9. FRENCH.
¬Provençal, (275.)
Tolosan, (4400
Burgundian, (444.)
Gascon, (463.)
¬Bearnais, (440.) •
Lorraine, (463.)
Bas Breton, (439.)
¬10. - ENGLISH.
¬Somersetshire, Yorkshire, and ¬Lancashire dialects, (404.)
Lowland Scotch, (437.)
I should add that many of these dialects, as the Moorish and Berber Arabic, the Spanish of Majorca, the Provenсal French, the Italian of Sicily and Sardinia, and the language of the Grisons or Graubünden, might most justly be described as separate languages, at least as regards the difficulty of acquisition. In the catalogue of the Cavaliere Minarelli a series of languages (the very names of which the reader probably never has heard,) are enumerated, chiefly of the central and South American families - of the former, the Cora, the Tepehuana, the Mistek, the Othomi,
the Maya ; of the latter, the Paraguay, the Omagua, the Aymara, the Canisiana, and the Mobima. I am not aware of the authority on which the Cavaliere relies in reference to these languages. For the majority of them, I must say that I cannot find in the catalogue of the Cardinal's library any distinct trace whatever of his having studied them ; but it is certain that he had given his attention early to the languages of these countries ; that he had opportunities in Bologna of conversing with ex- Jesuit missionaries from the central and South American provinces ; and that the library of the Propaganda, of which he had the unrestricted use, contains many printed and manuscript elementary works in languages of which ¬little trace is elsewhere to be found.