(he Structure of Language. 165 



The Hebrew alphabet contains twenty-two letters, each of 

 which has a certain sound assigned to it ; but, as there are but 

 five classes of vocal sounds, it follows that different letters must 

 be expressed by sounds belonging to the same class of sounds ; 

 the twenty-two sound's of which th& twenty-two letters are the 

 signs, must be arranged under ihe five classes of sounds which 

 have been enumerated. If, then, each letter were the sign of a 

 distinct thing, it is evident, that two letters, which represent two 

 distinct and dissimilar things, might be expressed by sounds of 

 the same class. So that although, if regarded as signs of 

 things, there might not be the slightest similarity or connexion 

 between them, yet, as signs o£ sounds, they might bear so close 

 an affinity to each other, as to be liable to be substituted 

 for each other by those who regarded them only as signs of 

 sound. 



If each letter of the Hebrew alphabet were the sign^ or repre- 

 sentation of a distinct thing, the whole alphabet would present 

 the signs of twenty-two things only. Such a limited number of 

 signs of things being utterly insufficient for the purposes of lan- 

 guage, it was necessary to connect, with the thing represented^ 

 some general, or leading idea, which bore some resemblance to, 

 or had some analogy with, the thing represented. So that a 

 letter which was the sign of a thing, was made also the sign or 

 symbol of some general idea which was associated with that 

 thing. 



The letter D, for instance, which is called Caph (5)D), or bow, 

 represented, as both its name and its present form denote, a bent 

 bow : 



t)o 



This may be called its representative character. 



With the representation of a bent, or strung bow, was natu- 

 rally connected the idea of curvature, and, consequently, this 

 letter (the bow-letter) was adopted as the symbol of curvature, 

 or incurvation. This jnay be called its ideal character. 



With a bent or strung bow, was also associated the idea of 



