The grammatical structure of these languages appears to be as much at variance with the Kafir, as their vocabularies. The Galla dialects, for example, are known to be essentially different from the Sooahelee, which, as will be shown hereafter, belongs to the same class as the Kafir. An examination of the Mandingo and Ashanti grammars, will lead to the same conclusion in respect to those languages.3 The Malagasy language, again, which, from the proximity of Madagascar to the African continent, might have been supposed to bear some affinity to the Kafir, belongs to the Polynesian class of languages, approaching most nearly to the Malay family, both in grammatical structure and verbal affinity. The Rev. J. J. Freeman, formerly a Missionary in Madagascar, observes, that "the Malagasy seems to bear no relation to the Mozambique, nor to the Kafir languages of Africa. There are many natives of Mozambique in the island; but so perfectly dissimilar is their language from that of the Malagasy, that they can hold no mutual conversation with the natives of Madagascar, till they have acquired the language of the latter.”4 It may be concluded, then, that since no satisfactory proof of ralationship, either in verbal affinity or grammatical structure, can be discovered between the Kafir and any of the known African dialects, not included in the same class, a 3 Dr. Pritchard, it is believed, has expressed an opinion to the effect, that some affinity can be traced between the Coptic and the Kafir. Perhaps the use of prefixes, with which the Coptic is said to abound, was what led to the formation of that o pinion. it may be right, therefore, to remark, that the peculiarity of the Kafir languages consists not in their possessing non-radical prefixes, nor simply in the circumstance that these prefixes are alliteral, but in the fact that alliteral prefixes constitute the basis of all grammatical construction and government. Many other languages are found with prefixes, more or less in use; and one-the Woloff-is said to have an "Alliterational Concord;" but before a family identity can be established between any of these and the Kafir, it must be shown that their prefixes have a correspondency of form and use, and that the alliteration which they grammatically evolve is necessary, not arbitrary. Do any of these languages, for instance, vary the prefix of their adjectives ten or twelve times, according to the prefix of the governing noun? Have any of them a hundred different forms for the pronoun "its," the variation depending upon the prefixes of the noun referred to, and the noun governing? 4 Appendix to Ellis's "History of Madagascar," which contains an outline of Malagasy grammar by the Rev. J. J. Freeman. family affinity with all, or with any of them, cannot be established. It may seem unnecessary to remark, that no particular affinity is to be found between the Kafir and the extensive class of languages usually denominated IndoGermanic. Some resemblance, however, may be traced between the Kafir and the Semitic families. The different forms of the verb in general, and the peculiar usages of some verbs in particular, together with many of the constructions of the relative and other pronouns, sufficiently indicate this. Possibly, therefore, the Kafir may be a Semitic tongue, with the Euphonic concord engrafted on it. But though this opinion should be proved tenable, the Kafir and similar languages have still to be dealt with, according to their present constitution; and from what has already been said, their position must be regarded as unique, their several dialects standing isolated from all others, so far as their peculiar characteristic is concerned. The particular origin, accordingly, of these languages, has yet to be discovered. Whether the parent dialect is to be found amongst the tribes who have reached the South, or whether it is to be found amongst tribes who may still remain in the North, can only form a subject of conjecture. If, however, there be a parent still in existence, it might probably be found amongst the tribes which occupy the interior regions to the south or southwest of Abyssinia, where, it is not impossible to conceive, some of the early progenitors of the Kafir, and other South African tribes, remained behind, whilst the general emigration proceeded in its downward course. It may be reasonably expected, in fact, that a traveller, tolerably conversant with the language and customs of the Kafirs, would be able to throw a considerable degree of light upon their origin and migratory movements, by a journey through the numerous tribes which lie between the Nile and the Red sea, and skirt the southern parts of Abyssinia. On many accounts, there are good grounds for supposing that they are of Ishmaelitish descent, and consequently, that they are of the same origin as many of the tribes of Arabia. The twelve sons of Ishmael were the princes or heads of as many different families, and whose descendants occupied a tract of country, extending from Havilah on the Euphrates, which seems to have been a little below its junction with the Tigris, to the wilderness of Shur, which forms a part of the Isthmus of Suez. In the course of time, the several tribes of Ishmael's descendants would so increase, as to render an extension of country desirable, if not absolutely necessary. It may be naturally supposed, accordingly, that the more Eastern tribes gradually passed down into Arabia, whilst the extreme Western ones descended the western shore of the Red Sea, whence they gradually spread themselves out to the west and south. Further and successive emigrations were doubtless rendered necessary for the same reason, as well as through the encroachments of other tribes, till at length they reached the several countries where they are now found, and where their migratory progress is finally stayed, by the advance, from the opposite direction, of another and more powerful emigration, with which they appear destined to be amalgamated. CLASSIFICATION OF SOUTH AFRICAN DIALECTS. 3. The preceding remarks have been introductory to a general classification of South African dialects. In this way we shall be the better enabled to develope the history of the Kafir language, as it may be viewed, not only in itself, but also in its relative position with all others which are found in the same division of the globe, whether belonging to its own or another class. As far, then, as it has yet been ascertained, all the languages of South Africa may be included under two principal divisions, which may be denominated from their distinctive features, the CLICK class,—and the ALLITERAL class. - CLICK CLASS. 4. THE CLICK CLASS of South African languages includes those which are spoken by the various Hottentot tribes, whose ancestors were probably the first inhabitants of this part of the world.5 Its different dialects abound with those peculiar sounds which have been usually called clicks, as well as with nasals and gutturals of extreme harshness. As a natural consequence, they are uncouth and unharmonious, rendering any attempt at their systemization a matter of almost insuperable difficulty. This class may be divided into two families, the HOTTENTOT,-and the BUSHMAN. HOTTENTOT FAMILY. 5. The Hottentot family comprises the dialects spoken by the Hottentots proper, the Namaquas, and the Koranas. These several tribes give sufficient evidence of one common origin, being distinguished by the same physical appearance, as well as by the same general language and manners. In all these respects, they are widely different from any of the Kafir, Bechuana, or other tribes, who speak languages belonging to the Alliteral class. 1. The Hottentots proper probably formed, at one time, the principal tribe of the great Hottentot nation. When the Cape was first colonized by the Dutch, these were the It 5 The meaning of the term Hottentot is involved in some obscurity. seems to be of Dutch extraction (Hoten-tot), and was probably given in reference to their language, which might have appeared to those who first heard it, as consisting of little better than an assemblage of such unmeaning monosyllables as hot and tot. B By the Kafirs, the Hottentots are called Amageya and Amalau. The latter is properly a nickname. It signifies, those who prefer eating their cattle, to keeping them; and may be regarded, therefore, as a Kafir stigma on the proverbial improvidence of the Hottentot race. |