" have, however, of
course the same origin, their common root being widely spread in other
languages, as [Greek: neos], Gr.; _norus_, Lat.; _neuf_, Fr., &c.; that
"news" is a noun of plural form and plural meaning, like _goods_,
_riches_, &c.; that its peculiar and frequent use is quite sufficient to
account for its having come to be used as a singular noun ("riches," by
the way, may be prefixed sometimes to a singular verb, as "riches is a
cause of corruption"); that Mr. HICKSON might as well say that "goods"
is derived immediately from "gutes," the genitive of "gut;" and "riches"
from "reiches," the genitive of "reich:" and also that if "_s_" in
"goods," and "_es_" in "riches" are signs of the plural, "we should
have, as the Germans have, either extant or obsolete," the "good," "the
rich," (not that I quite understand this part of "Mr. HICKSON's"
argument): and, lastly, I assert that I believe that _Neues_, in the
phrase "Was giebt's Neues?" is not the genitive, but the nominative
neuter, so that the phrase is to be literally translated "What is there
new?"

As regards the derivation of "News," I wish you had allowed the question
to rest as it stood after the sensible remarks of "A.E.B." (No. 23. p.
369.). Pray excuse me, Sir, for expressing a hope that you will ponder
well before you again allow us to be puzzled on so plain a subject, and
give circulation and your sanction to paradoxes, even though coming from
one so entitled to attention as "Mr. HICKSON."

The early communication between the English and German languages, of
which "Mr. HICKSON" puts forward the derivation of "news" from "neues"
as an instance, may be an interesting and profitable subject of inquiry;
but as I think he has been singularly unfortunate in the one instance,
so I do not think him particularly happy in his other. I see no further
resemblance between Heywood's "Song in praise of his Mistress," and the
early German poem, than what _might_ arise from treatment of the same
and a very common subject.

I am not enough of an etymologist to give you the root of the word
"noise." But my faith in "Mr. HICKSON" in this capacity is not strong
enough to lead me to believe, on his dictum, that "news" and "noise" are
the same word; and when, pursuing his fancy about "neues," he goes on to
say that "noise" is "from a dialect from which the modern German
pronunciation of the dipthong is derived," I fear his pronunciation of
German is faulty, if he pronou