DERIVATIONS OF "NEWS."
It is not declared with what motive "Mr. GUTCH" (No. 17. p. 270.) has laid before the readers of "NOTES AND QUERIES" the alleged derivation of N.E.W.S.
It must therefore be supposed, that his object was to have its justness and probability commented upon; and it is quite time that they should be so, since the derivation in question has of late become quite a favourite authoritative dictum with etymology compilers. Thus it may be found, in the very words and form adopted by your correspondent, in Haydn's Dictionary of Dates, and in other authorities of equal weight.
This sort of initial-letter derivation was probably brought into fashion in England by the alleged origin of "Cabal," or, perhaps, by the many guesses at the much disputed word "Æra." I shall take the liberty of quoting a few sentences with reference to such etymologies, as a class, which I find in an unpublished manuscript upon a kindred subject.
"Besides, such a splitting up of a word of significant and perfect meaning in itself is always a bad and suspicious mode of derivation.
"It is generally an after-thought, suggested by some fortuitous or fancied coincidence, that appropriateness of which is by no means a sufficient proof of probability.
"Of this there can scarcely be a better example than the English word 'news,' which, notwithstanding the felicity of its supposed derivation from the four cardinal points, must, nevertheless, so long as the corresponding words 'nova,' 'nouvelles,' &c. exist, be consigned to its more sober and common-place origin in the adjective 'new.'"
To this it must be added that the ancient orthography of the word newes, completely upsets the derivation Mr. Gutch has brought before your readers. Hone quotes from "one Burton, printed in 1614: 'if any one read now-a-days, it is a play-book, or a pamphlet of newes."
I had been in two minds whether or not to send this communication, when the scale is completely turned by the apropos occurrence of a corroboration of this latter objection in "NOTES AND QUERIES" of this day. Mr. Rimbault mentions (at p. 277.), "a rare black letter volume entitled Newes from Scotland, 1591."
Here is one more proof of the usefulness of your publication, that I am thus enabled to strengthen the illustration of a totally different subject by the incidental authority of a fellow correspondent.
A.E.B.