The Origin Of The Names Of The Masonic Fraternity.

Aga did not speak English . The above quoted conjectures , though they may explain , to a certain extent , the use of the term free in English , cannot possibly relate to the prefix fra in Arabic . The explanation of the origin of this phrase Avhich I am

going to submit , solves the problem not only as regards the common use of that phrase both in our OAVU and foreign languages , but also its meaning that is identical in all tongues of the globe . One of the formations of the name of Amman

the great god of the Egyptians , Avas Ha , the sun : and in the Egyptian Pantheon he is known as Phre , the god of light , made up of Be or Ba , the rising sun , and PJI , the Coptic definite article , prefixed . The similarity betAveen this name of

the Egyptian deity and our own prefix Free and the Arabic Fra is perfectly plain . Champollion , on page 133 of his Grammar , quoted heretofore , gives a table of proper names made up of the name of an Egyptian deity , and the M 2 , ms ( in

hieroglyphic characters , the symbol of deAV and the pistil of a plant ) , Avhich he spells in French ones , the sound of the vowel ranging most likely betAveen a ancl o . This Coptic word M o 2 is translated by Champollion by engendrer , to

engender ; but more modern etymologists take it in the sense of " to regenerate , " " to resuscitate . " It enters into the composition of the name of MOSES . Of its peculiar meaning and its reproduction in our ritual Ave shall speak presently .

The names cited by Champollion are the following : — Ahnios derived from the god Luna , in Greek

Aixuffis or "A / xaats Thoutmos ,. Thoh Amenmos Anion Harmos ,,, Horus Phtahmos Phtah

Hapimos , Apis Ramos ,.. ,,, ... Phre The last of these may as well be read Phremos , and , as it occurs in the former list , it is the name of the great conqueror Ramses ( Ramasis ) . The

first of the names of the above table is sometimes spelt Amessis ; it is used by ancient Avriters to designate some of the Egyptian Pharaos—Osortasen I ., A . C . 2186 ; Amenoph I ., . whose name is also spelt Armaisj Menephta IL , or Armessis ,

and so on , up to the year 596 A . C , in which we find it used to designate the immediate predecessor of Psanuneticus III ., when it was spelt Amosis and Amasis , thus shoAving clearly that the

o may be transmuted into a and e , and the same Avord may be reacl Phremos , Phrames , and Phremas . The Coptic Avord MAS , which means ffto regenerate , " seems to me to be the radical accompanied by a prefix ancl a suffix , the usual mode

of inflection in all languages . The prefix I have pointed out heretofore . As regards the suffix , it expresses in HebreAA' , if added to the verb , the accusative of the personal pronoun ^ lie , ANK . In Egyptian , this is also the personal pronoun anolc

or noli . Champollion , in speaking of the inseparable pronouns Avhich are united to the verb , says that the greatest part of them consists of a single consonant or voAvel , like the HebreAV or

Arabic suffixa , AA'hich have their origin in common Avith the Egyptian pronouns . The suffix denoting the pronoun of the third person of the plural in ancient Egyptian was SN . If Ave combine the radix Avith the prefix and the suffix , we

have Phre mes sn ( in Coptic PBEJISSN ) , which , translated literally , means the sun regenerates them , and , symbolically , Sons of Light . I am fully convinced that this is the origin of the word Freemason ; and really there is no necessity for

proving that the designation " Sons of Light " has been applied to our Fraternity from times immemorial . *

At the commencement of this article it has been said that the name of the Fraternity was really associated with the idea of building , and shoAA'n that Avorking Masonry or architecture has no connection whatever with this idea . The working Mason of our clays believes that his title as Avell as the essence of the character of the Order