On the Orthography and Pronunciation of Slavic proper names, see the
note on p. 151; also the note under the letter V in the Index.
* * * * *
HISTORICAL SKETCH.
INTRODUCTION.
The earliest history of the Slavic nations is involved in a darkness,
which all the investigations of diligent and sagacious modern
historians and philologians have not been able to clear up. The
analogy between their language and the Sanscrit, seems to indicate
their origin from India; but to ascertain the time at which they first
entered Europe, is now no longer possible. Probably this event took
place seven or eight centuries before the Christian era, on account of
the over-population of the regions on the Ganges.[1] Herodotus
mentions a people which he called Krovyzi, who lived on the Ister.
There is even now a tribe in Russia, whose name at least is almost
the same.[2] Strabo, Pomponius Mela, Pliny, Tacitus, and several other
classical and a few oriental writers, allude to the Slavic nations
occasionally. But the first distinct intelligence we have of them, is
not older than the middle of the sixth century.[3] At this period we
see them traversing the Danube in large multitudes, and settling on
both the banks of that river.
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