Putus. This word means "pure," as may be seen in many passages. "Putum pro puro dixisse antiquos." (Festus, p. 217, ed. Müller). It seems to be a perfect participle from the root pu, which no longer occurs as a simple verb in Latin, but which still exists in Sanscrit, where pû signifies "to purify." The adjective pu-rus comes from the same root. Οφρύς. The root of ỏ-pú-s is opv, as appears from the Sanscrit bhrú, "an eyebrow," the old German brawâ, and the English brow. The short o at the beginning will create no difficulty, if we bear in mind such words as κέλλω and ὀκέλλω, ὀσταφίς, ἀσταφίς and σταφίς, οβελός and βέλος, ὀδύρομαι and δύρομαι, ὀδούς, ὀδόντος, and dens, dentis, ὄ-νομa and no-men. In a-výp also the mp seems to be the root, as we have the Sanscrit nri or nar, 66 a man." In the same manner the ỏ in ő-vuέ, ő-vux-os, is no part of the root, as appears from the Sanscrit nakha, “a nail," the German nagel, and the English nail. In our language we have lost the guttural, as usual. Πότνια, which is frequently used in the sense of a "mistress," is the same as the Sanscrit patnî, "a mistress." There is also in Sanscrit the masculine form pati, "a master;" and both are derived from the root pâ, "to defend” or preserve. The latter part of δεσπότης and déσ-Towa also contains the same root. Γαστήρ. The root of yao-rip would seem to be ghas, which does not occur in a simpler form in the Greek. It is found, however, as Bopp has remarked, in Sanscrit, in which ghas signifies "eat," and also appears in the Latin gus-to, the German ge-gess-en and gas-t, and the English gues-t. WILLIAM SMITH. VII. ON THE MEANING AND ORIGIN OF THE AND when he came to the lady's chamber, He thrild upon a pin. The lady was true of her promise, Rose up and let him in'. On this passage Percy remarks: "This is elsewhere expressed 'twirled the pin,' or 'tirled at the pin', (see Book II. s. 6. v. 3); and seems to refer to the turning round the button on the outside of a door, by which the latch rises, still used in cottages." Dr. Jamieson, in the Supplement to his Scotch Dictionary, has a similar observation on the same expression: "It has occurred to me (he says) that to tirl at the pin, is probably the same with the English twirl, to turn round, to move by a quick rotation.' This idea has been suggested by the notice in Gl. Antiq. Tirling at the door-pin, twirling the handle of the latch.'" If this was the meaning of the expression in question, we should expect the construction to be to tirl the pin,' not 'at the pin:' as in Chaucer— When you list to riden any where, Ye moten trill a pin, stant in his ere, Out of the sight of every maner wight*. It appears moreover from many passages, that to thril or to tirl, is to knock; and that the custom was to knock on the fastening of the door, which was the signal that the person outside wished to be admitted. If to tirl at the pin was simply to raise 1 Glasgerion, v. 37. Percy's Reliques, Vol. III. p. 47. 2 Canterbury Tales, v. 10629-31. 3 Ibid. 10634-5. 4 Ibid. 10641-3. or turn the latch, the person outside could have let himself in, which, as is evident from the passage in Glasgerion, and others which will be quoted, was not the case. The following is the example referred to by Percy : There came a ghost to Margaret's door, With many a grievous grone; And aye he tirled at the pin, But answer made she none". Which is well explained by the following passage from another ballad in the same collection : And when he came to fair Margaret's bower, He knocked at the ring: And who so ready as her seven brethren To let sweet William in? Where the person desirous to gain an entrance knocks on the metal ring, instead of the wooden pin. This expression occurs frequently in the Scotch ballads, where its sense is equally obvious. Thus in the ballad of Burd Helen: When he cam to the porter's yett, He tirled at the pin, And wha sae ready as the bauld porter Again, in the Lass of Lochryan: And she's gane to the castle hie, And tirled at the pin: "Oh open, open, love Gregory, Open, and let me in!" Lang, lang she knockit, and sair she ca'd, And lang she dreed the rain; Lang, lang she knockit, and sair she ca'd, But answer got she nane. At length a person gets up, and after speaking to her, refuses to let her in. 5 Sweet William's Ghost, v. 1. Percy, Vol. 111. p. 127. Fair Margaret and Sweet William, v. 41. Vol. III. p. 122. 7 Chambers' Scottish Ballads, p. 197. 8 Chambers, p. 228. From the ballad of Fair Janet it likewise appears that the latch was raised by the person inside: 66 "O open, open, dear mother, O open, and let me in: For I hae my young son in my arms, And I fear his days are dune." With her fingers sae lang and sma' She lifted up the pin ; And with her arms sae lang and sma' She took the babie in". Again, in Young Huntin: When he came to his lady's bower, He tirled at the pin; And wha sae ready as the lady hersell 10 To open and let him in 1o? Nearly the same words occur in Sir Roland: When he came to his ain luve's bouir, He tirled at the pin; And sae ready was his fair fause luve To rise and let him in". In the ballad of Young Johnston, the person who tirls at the pin is immediately answered from within: 66 But he's awa to his sister's bouir, And he's tirled at the pin. 'Where hae you been, my dear brother, In Johnie Scot, of a band of armed men: But when they came to Earl Percy's yett, They tirled at the pin, None was so ready as Earl Percy himsell Nane was so ready as the gay lord himsell, To open and let him in1. The same traditional form of expression also occurs in more familiar songs. Thus in the song, "Saw ye my father, &c." Up Johnie rose, and to the door he goes, And gently tirled at the pin. The lassie taking tent, unto the door she went, Likewise in the famous Jacobite song, "Charlie he's my darling :" As he was walking up the street, The city for to view, O there he spied a bonnie lass, Sae lights he jumped up the stair, And wha sae ready as herself To let the laddie in 16. Also in the more serious, but modern song of Donoght Head: Keen blaws the wind ower Donoght Head, The snaw drives snelly thro' the dale: The gaberlunzie tirls my sneck, And shivering tells his waefu' tale". 4 The ballad of Willie and May Margaret is of itself sufficient to explain the meaning of this expression: 66 And he came to May Margaret's door When all were fast asleep. O he's gone round and round about, And tirled at the pin; But doors were steekit and windows barred, And nane wad let him in. "O open the door to me, Margaret, 14 Motherwell's Ballads, p. 236. 16 Ibid. p. 540. 17 Ibid. Vol. II. p. 507 |