Genre:

Extract, Miscellaneous

Publications extracted:

Horne 1809

Subjects:

Language, Religion, Meteorology

    The extract, from William Jones's 'Letter on the Use of the Hebrew Language', argues that the Hebrew language is 'in itself instructive: its words give us light into things, in a manner different from those of any other language in the world'. States that this convinces the author 'of its divine original'. Gives some examples, including the Hebrew word transliterated as 'BeReD' ('hail'), 'which signifies in descensu, and so describes to us the physiological formation of hail: which, as philosophers agree, is first formed into drops of rain, and, as it falls, is frozen into hail'.