The Principles of Statics

one says Guarda [Guard], Guardador [Guardian], Guardaso [Watcher], also Guarida [Refuge], and Guarnecer [To garnish/equip], Guarnicion [Garrison], etc. Again Guerra [War], from which they say Guerrear [To wage war], Guerreador [War-maker], Guerrero [Warrior], etc. Again Guinar [To wink or steer]. Furthermore Guifi Original: Guifi, likely referring to Guiso (stew/dish)., from which Guifar Original: Guifar, likely Guisar (to cook/stew). comes, etc. Indeed, even some Indians Stevin refers to reports from early explorers claiming to find Germanic-sounding words among indigenous peoples in the Americas. who are said to use many Germanic words, as well as various other regions in Asia whose speech Jerome Saint Jerome (c. 347–420 AD) noted that the Galatians of Asia Minor spoke a language nearly identical to that of the Treveri in what is now Trier, Germany. testifies was in his time almost the same as that of the people of Trier; and more other nations whose languages are mixed with Germanic, have such things from the Germanic, dating back to those ancient times when they [the Germans] were in their first great power.

Effect. The aforementioned is confirmed even more strongly, clearly, and necessarily by the artistic construction of their language; truly no work of simple savages, but it is a wonder how learned, civilized men could have brought such a thing to pass. About which we have spoken more broadly, and we must confirm its worthiness above all others with notable reasons, as follows: The purpose of speech is, among other things, to declare the content of thought, and just as thought is brief, so the declaration also desires brevity; this can most conveniently happen by signifying single things with single sounds; also such that they allow for convenient composition Stevin is referring to the ability of the Dutch language to create complex compound words from simple roots. everywhere; that they teach the fundamental principles of the Arts Stevin believed that technical and scientific concepts were more easily understood in Dutch because the terms were descriptive rather than arbitrary Latin or Greek roots.; and move the listeners vehemently toward the speaker's intent. Now, whether all four of these are better achieved by the Dutch than by any other, we shall explain in an orderly fashion, first showing—and that by factual deed, so that it may be believed—that the Dutch have 742 monosyllabic words in the first person; where the Latins have only eight; the Greeks have no proper ones, but long ones shortened to forty-five. After that, we shall speak of the nouns, adjectives, etc., all of which we have gathered in haste, each from its dictionary, as follows.