[§ 155]. The Norwegian, Danish, Norse, or Scandinavian element of the Anglo-Norman (as in the proper names Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney, and perhaps others) constitutes the indirect Scandinavian element of the English.
[§ 156]. Latin of the Third Period.—This means the Latin which was introduced between the battle of Hastings and the revival of literature. It chiefly originated with the monks, in the universities, and, to a certain extent, in the courts of law. It must be distinguished from the indirect Latin introduced as part and parcel of the Anglo-Norman. It has yet to be accurately analyzed.
Latin of the Fourth Period.—This means the Latin which has been introduced between the revival of literature and the present time. It has originated in the writings of learned men in general, and is distinguished from that of the previous periods by—
1. Being less altered in form—
2. Preserving, in the case of substantives, in many cases its original inflections; axis, axes; basis, bases—
3. Relating to objects and ideas for which the increase of the range of science in general has required a nomenclature.
[§ 157]. Greek.—Words derived directly from the Greek are in the same predicament as the Latin of the third period—phænomenon, phænomena; criterion, criteria, &c.; words which are only indirectly of Greek origin, being considered to belong to the language from which they were immediately introduced into the English. Such are deacon, priest, &c., introduced through the Latin; thus a word like church proves no more in regard to a Greek element in English, than the word abbot proves in respect to a Syrian one.
[§ 158]. The Latin of the fourth period and the Greek agree in retaining, in many cases, the Latin or Greek inflexions rather than adopting the English ones; in other words, they agree in being but imperfectly incorporated. The phænomenon of imperfect incorporation (an important one) is reducible to the following rules:—
1. That it has a direct ratio to the date of the introduction, i.e., the more recent the word the more likely it is to retain its original inflexion.