And that this may appear by sufficient proofs, he proceeds to show that the chief names of men and places in each of these counties are rightly significant in Dutch, and not in their respective proper languages: as, for example—
"Adam—Scythicè Ad-ham, sive Haid-am, ens conjunctivum, 'a united entity.' The Chaldeans," says he, "interpreted Adam to mean 'red,' for what reason I cannot see. It doth not appear a name of sufficient dignity for the first and most perfect and absolute of men. 'Tis much more to the purpose that he should have got the name of an united entity, from the first institution of marriage by his Creator.
"Eva—i. e. heve, significat prægnans vel elevata, ab elevatione ventris; than which nothing could be said more in rem.
"Noe—N'hohe, that is, altus, celsus; as Noah was at the head of time after the deluge. The Chaldeans interpret it cessatio, quies; but Noah," says he, "had neither rest nor quiet during the deluge.
"Moses—mos-es, that is, the 'mud of the waters;' being, when an infant, exposed and raised out of the mud and slime of the river Nile. The Chaldeans interpret his name 'raised,' simply according to the mere circumstance of his being taken up; but the Celtic (i. e. the Dutch) signification denotes the whole fact.
"David—D'af-heid, that is to say, 'lowness,' 'humility.' For David was not only of a low stature, but, above all, low and humble in his mind, as appears from 1 Kings," &c. &c.
After Teutonising the Hebrew in this manner, he next proceeds to the Egyptian.
"Aegyptos—haeg-up-t'hos, that is 'sylvæ supra altitudines,' 'the woody heights above.' (How this is exactly applicable he does not inform us.)
"Nilus—N'hil-ho, that is, the 'high descent,' to wit, of waters; for the Nile descends from the Mountains of the Moon, which are very high.
"Sebenuticum—(a town of the Delta,) Seben-vuyticum, that is, 'the seven-fold outcome;' for the Nile is seven-fold, and hath seven mouths or outlets.