J.M.B.

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REPLIES.

DERIVATION OF NEWS.

I have no wish to prolong the controversy on this word, in which I feel
I, at least, have had my share. I beg room, however, for an observation
on one or two very pertinent remarks by Mr. Singer.

In the course of this argument I have seen that if _news_ were
originally a plural noun, it might be taken for an ellipsis of
_new-tidings_. My objection to this would be twofold. First, that the
adjective _new_ is of too common use, and, at the same time, too general
and vague to form an ellipsis intelligible on its first application;
and, secondly, that the ellipsis formed of _new-tidings_ would be found
to express no more than _tidings_, still requiring the _new_, if the
idea of _new_ were required, as in the instance Mr. Singer cites of _new
newes_.

I would not pretend to determine whether the word were taken from the
High German or the Dutch; but Mr. Singer's remark, that our language has
derived scarcely anything from the former, brings back the question to
the point from which I originally started. That there was a political
and commercial connexion between the two countries, I suppose there can
be no doubt and such, I imagine, never existed without leaving its marks
on languages so near akin.