13 Montague Place, Worthing
9 September 1870
My dear Sir
Many thanks for your reference to Art. 222 of your Glossary. I had completed the sheet with manzaz and sent it for press, but have recalled it, and am still trying to work it out. I had made manzazan the plural of manzaz, from the verb nazaz, carefully explained by Hincks, but had missed the Accad duba. Now I find duba repeated fifteen times in what I called ġ Michaux, which you were looking through with me at the British Museum; I do not know if you took a copy of it. This repetition occurs after the account of the sale, always in the same way, “Ina dubo sa,” followed by a name. This would signify “ by with the concurrence of” “by the testimony of” or something of the sort, can you suggest any meaning consistent with nanzaz? This last word I had rendered “elevation,” or exhibition,” and as a secondary value, “a pattern” standard “model,” &c, and then manzaz pani, <it?> might be considered as first rate chiefs; I have used the word “nobles” or “gentlemen,” but this will not help us to a value of duba. I have thought over this in the intervals of health seeking, but fear I must be content with “don’t know.” (may we not consider manzaz [and therefore duba] “a witness” in the sense of “coming forward” showing forth evidence?)
I am very glad to hear of your growing Glossary; I have had many hints from it though often differing; but this will be the case with every man making an Assyrian dictionary for many years to come.
I have made dalu to raise, see iduláni “They were drawn up” in Dic p 420; and udilu “they drew up,” Sen. T. v.7, ‘draw up a gate.’ They adopt this plan of shutting gates of towns in several places where a draw-bridge forms the gates I cannot specify any town, but I have frequently seen it on the Continent; I think it was used in Geneva. The Heb <hebrew> is a fair etymology.
I quite agree with your judgement Oppert, especially in the Inscription you mention; he has done good work, but he is often frightfully wrong, ludicrously so.
I have felt the necessity of making long extracts, and have boldly used the privilege of doing so, more an more; it will add to the cost of the work, but I hope to its value also. – I think I shall not publish any part of the Verb Glossary till I have it all ready. So many additions and corrections become requisite as I go on that this resolution is indisposeable
I shall make a new paging, with a conspicuous external difference of some sort, so-that it may be put in anywhere it will probably make a volume of itself, and will I think be the most valuable portion of my work. I propose to make a copious index of all irregularities, at the end, as a help to a student in seeking a word. you will say I am a sanguine man to expect to live long enough to complete all this, but I shall leave my manuscript for somebody or other, and I feel the most perfect indifference to any fame in the case. My reader will be “vel duo vel nemo.”
Yours faithfully,
Edwin Norris
H. Fox Talbot Esq
&c &c &c