The Anglo-Norman Dialect. By Louis Emil Monger, Ph.D. (Macmillan and
Co. 5s. net.)—No more difficult subject for study could easily have been found than that which Professor Meager chose for himself. It "underwent no progressive, organic develop- ment; the history of the language cannot be divided into succes-
sive stages it is, to a great extent, the product of the individual caprices of writers." Between thirty and forty texts exist in the dialect, ranging in date from the twelfth down to the middle of the fourteenth century. These Professor Meager briefly describes, having tentatively arranged them in chrono- logical order. This done, he attacks the formidable problem of phonology and morphology. Finally, he supplies some text selec- tions. We may give as a specimen verses 1-3 of Psalm cxxxvi. :
"Sur lee fluez de Babiloine, iluec sesimes e ploummes, cum nus recordissuma de Sion.
Sur les sods en milieu de Ii, suspendimes nos estrumenz. Ker iluec demandoweut ki chaitifs nuns meuerent, paroles de changun ; e cil ki nuns tormentowent Lie, chanter a nuns des chanz de Siou.''
Professor Menger's promising career was brought to an end by an accident in the summer of 1903.
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