St. John's Wood, May 27. 1850.
I do not know the reason for the rule your correspondent Mr. S. HICKSON lays down, that such a noun as "news" could not be formed according to English analogy. Why not as well as "goods, the shallows, blacks, for mourning, greens?" There is no singular to any of these as nouns.
Noise is a French word, upon which Menage has an article. There can be no doubt that he and others whom he quotes are right, that it is derived from noxa or noxia in Latin, meaning "strife." They quote:—
"Sæpe in conjugiis fit noxia, cum nimia est dos."
Ausonius.
"In mediam noxiam perfertur."
Petronius.
"Diligerent alia, et noxas bellumque moverent."
Manilius.
It is a great pity that we have no book of reference for English analogy of language.