The terms which denote the political and religious institutions er usages of a country often present still greater difficulty. The Roman terms "sEdilis,"" Gomel," " Comitia," " Tribna,""Judes,"" Pontifax," "Augur," cannot be rendered into our language by any equivalent terms. In these and many similar instances it has become usual to adopt the original term, with the termination sometimes slightly altered, and the reader of such translations is supposed either to know what these terms moan, or to have books which will explain them. This is in fact the only practicable mode of translating such terms, and such translation is nut liable to more objection than a book In one's own language which contains numerous technical forme. the explanation of which ie not given in the book, and cannot be got from the context, but must be sought for in a dictionary or work of reference.
If the original language has been more cultivated than the language into which the translation is made, the translator will find that he is ill provided with terms equivalent to those of the original. Foreign works an jurisprudence or philosophy, when translated into English, present this difficulty, which can only be overcome by adopting the technical terms of the original language. If the translator were to attempt to make names which should correspond lb the original terms, he would not be so likely to succeed in getting them adopted as by transferring the original terms into his translation.
That part of translation then which consists simply in finding equivalent notional terms is limited. It depends on the character of the two languages, the original and that of the translation, how far equivalent terms can be found. In all matters which characterise the usages of a people, it is impossible to find equivalents, in two lan guages, for by the term character is here meant something which each has and the other bas not. As to all terms which are tke expression of universal notions, such as are in a great degree indepifident of the character of a people, those languages which have been cultivated to an equal degree do possess terms which are sufficiently equivalent. But even here there is often a very great difficulty in ascertaining the equivalent terms, as any one may satisfy himself by attempting to translate into English such a work se Cicoro'e treatise an the Orator, or some parts of Tacitue.
Perhaps it is often easier to translate from one language into another when the two languages have no historical connection, than when they are related as original and derived languages, or as languages which have Interchanged terms, or where the exchange has been all an one aide ; for it often happens that words which are transferred from one language into another retain nearly the original form, and yet have either been adopted in a different sense from the original sense, or have in course of time acquired such different meaning. It would be easy
to find numerous examples of such change of meaning in words that have been introduced into the Euglish either directly from the Latin or through the medium of other languages.
The union of notional words into connected speech or language is effected by the words of relation, which are either appendages added to words, or separate small words, or both ; and it is also effected by the order of the words. Now the words of relation and the order of words differ considerably in most languages, and heuce arises a great difficulty in translation ; for language consists not of single words, no more than a ship consists of trees ; in the case of language and a ship, words and timber are materiale. but materials without form have no significance. Yet in everything the nature of the material is an element in the capacity for receiving form ; and in language the possession or absence of case-endings, and of autfixee which show the modifications of words, called mode and tense, materially influences the capacity of the lan guage for expressing a given idea with perspicuity, brevity, and force: it also materially nth:eta the possible order of the words. Those lan guages which possess case-endings and verbal terminations in abundance can vary the order of the words in a great number of ways, so as to place particular words in those positions where they shall be most effective. A langusge like the EngliSh, which, in its present form, has few suffixes, is much mare limited in this power than the German, the Greek, and the Latin. Languages also differ greatly in the number of small words (relational words) which are adapted to express the relation at notional terms to one auother. Some of the more delicate colours which are thus expressed in one language are absolutely incapable of being expressed in another by any corresponding relational words, and sometimes they cannot be expressed by any combivation of words.