Hobson-Jobson / A Glossary of Colloquial Anglo-Indian Words and Phrases, and of Kindred Terms, Etymological, Historical, Geographical and Discursive

A GLOSSARY
ANGLO-INDIAN COLLOQUIAL
WORDS AND PHRASES
AND OF
KINDRED TERMS
Οὐδὲ γὰρ πάντως τὴν αὐτήν διασώζει διάνοιαν μεθερμηνευόμενα τὰ ὀνόματα ἀλλ' ἔστι τινὰ, καὶ καθ' ἕκαστον ἔθνος ἰδιώματα ἀδύνατα εἰς ἄλλο ἔθνος διὰ φωνῆς σημαίνεσθαι —Iamblichus, De Mysteriis , vii. cap. v.
i.e. For it is by no means always the case that translated terms preserve the original conception; indeed every nation has some idiomatic expressions which it is impossible to render perfectly in the language of another.
As well may we fetch words from the Ethiopians , or East or West Indians , and thrust them into our Language, and baptize all by the name of English , as those which we daily take from the Latine or Languages thereon depending; and hence it cometh, (as by often experience is found) that some English-men discoursing together, others being present of our own Nation ... are not able to understand what the others say, notwithstanding they call it English that they speak. —R. V(erstegan), Restitution of Decayed Intelligence , ed. 1673, p. 223.
Utque novis facilis signatur cera figuris,
Nec manet ut fuerat, nec formas servat easdem,
Sed tamen ipsa eadem est; VOCEM sic semper eandem
Esse, sed in varias doceo migrare figuras.