Lacock Abbey, Chippenham
Sept 19th. - 38
Revd. Sir
In reply to your obliging letter of the 22d. of last month <1> allow me to say that I feel much gratified that my little work <2> afforded you some interest in the perusal. With respect to the subject which you propose, the old Latin words preseved in the Italian, it would be very interesting if a considerable number of them could be discovered- I have met with one lately, as I think- At page 74 of my work, I have asserted, but without sufficient proof, that the Italian questo is the ancient Umbrian word estu. It has since occured to me that the identical word estu is still found in the Italian, viz. Stasera Stanottte; fore "esta sera", "esta notte."
I have regarded the word Piset (see p. 74) as the genitive case of Pisa a house; which may appear over-rash, since it depends only on the context- I have since found however that there is natural authority for the word Pisa in Etruscan, & that its signification was portus; which appears to me to be very compatible with its having signified Domus also-
I believe that the old Latin & Greek words preserved in Spanish, would also prove an interesting subject of enquiry- For instance ¦Ñ¦Ï¦Ì¦Õ¦Á¦É¦Á which I believe is not found in Italy, is the Spanish ronf¨¦a [sic].<3>
I should be very glad to receive any information respecting the Pelasgian inscription said to have been lately discovered in Greece; if any such has been found, I hope it will be published. A very few discoveries like that of the Elean inscription would throw a new light upon the early history of Greece.
Believe me to remain Revd. Sir Your very faithful servant
H. F. Talbot
[address panel:]
Revd C. Wordsworth
Harrow
Notes:
1. See Doc. No: 06657.
2. WHFT, Hermes: or Classical and Antiquarian Researches, No. 1. (London: Longman, Orme, Green, Brown & Longman, 1838).
3. He meant romfea, a sword.