Carl Darling Buck epub A Grammar of Oscan and Umbrian, With a Collection of Inscriptions and a Glossary (Classic Reprint)

The following work is an attempt to furnish in a single volume of moderate compass what is most essential for the study of the Oscan and Umbrian dialects. In spite of the meagreness of the material, as compared with languages like Greek and Latin, and in spite of the many questions of detail which are still unsolved, the main features of these two dialects are well understood. And such is their relation to Latin that some acquaintance with them is important, not to the I ndo-E uropeanist alone, but to the student of the Latin language, and, in a less degree, to the student of the history and antiquities of I taly. In order that a knowledge of the dialects should become more general, it is not enough that we have now such excellent works as Conway s Italic Dialects, with its full presentation of the existing material, and von Planta sexhaustive Grammatik der Oskisch-U mbrischen Dialekte. The fullness of v. Planta streatment, the conscientious weighing of possibilities, and the liberal citation pf authorities, all add to its value as a work of reference, but the resulting bulk of 1372 pages is likely to deter one who can devote only a moderate amount of time to the subject. That there is need of a briefer grammar has long been the authors conviction, which has only been strengthened by inquiries and suggestions from others in this country and abroad. In order to secure the desired brevity, it has been necessary to eliminate almost wholly any detailed discussion of disputed points, as well as special references for the views adopted or rejected. A ny one for whom the general bibliography given below is not sufiB.cient may be referred to v. Planta. Only in a few cases, here 1S o Skutsch, in a review of the authors Oscan-U mbrian Verb-S ystem, Berliner Philologische Wochenschrilt, November, 1895: Der Verf. kame eiuem Bediirfniss entgegen, wenn er eine vollstandig(Typographical errors above are due to OCR software and don't occur in the book.)