Though the word RECTUM signifies a right line, as well as right conduct or moral rectitude, I doubt whether our word RIGHT is derived from the Latin. First, Because it is not necessary to derive it from the Latin, for it may be regularly deduced from an Anglosaxon verb, as will afterwards be shewn; and there is no word in the speech of our Anglosaxon ancestors, so far as I know, that could supply its place. Secondly, Because it is a word our language has in common with the other dialects of the Gothic (Swedish, Dutch, and German, RECHT), which have little from the Latin; while it has not passed to us through the medium of the French, the common channel in which Latin words have come to us.

STRAIGHT (though omitted by H. Tooke) is clearly the past participle of the verb to stretch, Anglosaxon strecian, extendere.

And lo oon of hem that weren with Ihesus streyghte out his honde, and drough out his swerd and smote the servaunt of the prince and prestis, and kitte of his eare. Wiclif's Testament,

Matthew xxvi.

And these words said, she streyght her on length and rested a while. Chaucer, Testament of Love.

RIGHT is the Anglosaxon REHT or RIHT rectus, justus. Ratio, jus, rectum. Recta linea, perpendiculum. - Lye.

Its original meaning, straight (recta linea), appears whenever it is applied to direction :— right forward, right across, upright, &c.

The voys of a crier in desert, make ye redi the weye of the
make his pathis RIGHT.
ye
Wiclif's New Testament.

Lord,

May it not be the past participle of the Anglosaxon verb raec-an or rac-an (Mæso-Gothic rak-jan) extendere to stretch, of which the preterite was rachte, as Lye shows by many examples? Raec-an is still a common word in the senseporrigere To REACH (of which the old English preterite and past participle was raught); and, though not so common, it is not obsolete, in the sense to stretch or extend. Johnson quotes from Milton,

He declared that whoever became a clergyman, must subscribe slave, and take an oath withal, which unless he took with a conscience that would RETCH, he must straight perjure himself.Lives of the Poets.

The Scotch verb to rar seems to be the same word†, and is, I think, used nearly as synonymous with to stretch, though explained by Dr. Jamieson as limited in its application-"To reach "or extend the bodily members, as when fatigued " or awaking."

66

The Latin verb REGERE (Greek ópéyw) which, as we are told by Dumesnil, properly signifies to make straight, is clearly the same with the Anglosaxon verb RAEC-AN.

Exod. xiv. 21.

* Da nun Mose seine hand reckte uber das Meer. - German Bible.
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea.
A conscience that will rax is a common expression.
Ye who leather rar and draw.

We also RYKE, which comes nearer the Anglosaxon.
Let me ryke up and dight that tear.

Burns.

Burns.

Different etymologies have been given of the Latin noun ORDO order, but none, that I have seen, possesses the least degree of probability: I think it is evidently from op0os straight, right.We say indifferently to put things to rights, or to put them in order. It means right collocation, right succession of things one to another, right state, &c.

Ordinem sic definiunt, compositionem rerum aptis et accommodatis locis. — Cicero De Offic. Lib. i. cap. 40.

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On some Diminutive Terminations.

1. "The termination LING," says Johnson, notes commonly diminution, as kitling, from "klein German, little."

2. We have many diminutives in LET, which seems to be the ancient LYT, little; as streamlet, spikelet, hamlet, winglet, &c.

3. The Scotch diminutive ie, Housie, Burnie, Laddie, &c. may be from the adjective wEE, if it is not to be referred to the tenuity of the vowel (ee), which may have been thought peculiarly fit to express diminutiveness or smallness of size; whence such diminutives as sip from sup, tip from top, click from clack, &c. JE and TIE are diminutive terminations in the Dutch likewise, as beek a brook, beekje a little brook or rill; bok a goat, bokje a kid; lap a patch, lapje a little patch; been a bone, beentje a little bone, &c.

4. I do not know the etymology of the diminutive termination ock*, hill, hillock, and mention

*We may have it from the Gaelic, where og or ag is a diminutive termination. Stewart's Gaelic Grammar.

--

it only to observe, that it is more extensively used in the Scottish dialect: we have BITTOCK, a little bit; PLAYOK, a toy or worthless plaything; BRANNOK, the samlet; SHILLOCKS (Aberdeenshire), light corn or shulls; YEAROK, a chicken not a year old, mostly used in the expression" a yearok's egg"; FITCHOK, a small fitch or vetch; MULOK, a small mule or crumb; TIBBIE or TIBвOK, a girl's name (Isabel); DAVOCK or DAVIE.

For men I've three mischievous boys
Run deils for ranting and for noise;
A gadsman ane, a thresher t'other,
Wee DAVOCK hauds the nowt in fother.

Pure CLAGGOKIS cled in raploch quhite
Quhilk hes skant twa markis for thair feis,
Will have twa ellis beneth thair kneis ;
KITTOK, that clekkit was yestrene
The morne will counterfute the quene;
And mureland Meg, that milkis the yowis,
Claggit with clay above the howis,

In barn, nor byir, scho will nocht byde,
Without hir kirtill taill be syde, &c.

Burns.

Sir David Lindsay's supplication against Syde Taillis.

By the way, is not CLAY, which Johnson derives from clai Welsh, rather from clag and an instance of G changed to Y, according to the practice so common in the language?

Perhaps the English word RUDDOCK (rubecula the redbreast) is a diminutive in ocê, qu. reddock.

With fairest flowers,

Whilst summer lasts, and I live here, Fidele,

I'll sweeten thy sad grave: Thou shalt not lack