1885.] ^^' (Brinton. 



Yerb," a translation' of which accompanies this paper. But my 

 chief reliance in solving the obscurities of Humboldt's presen- 

 tation of his doctrines has been a close comparison of allied 

 passages in his various essays, memoirs and letters. Of these I 

 need scarcely say that I have attached the greatest weight to his 

 latest and monumental work sometimes referred to as his " In- 

 troduction to the Kawi Language," but whose proper title is 

 " On Differences in Linguistic Structure, and their Influence on 

 the Mental Development of the Human Race."* 



I would not have it understood that I am presenting a com- 

 plete analysis of Humboldt's linguistic philosophy. This is far, 

 beyond the scope of the [jresent paper. It aims to set forth 

 merely enough of his general theories to explain his applications 

 of them to the languages of the American race. 



What I have to present can best be characterized as a series of 

 notes on Humboldt's writings, indicating their bearing on the 

 problems of American philology, introducing his theories to 

 students of this branch, and serving as a preface to the hitherto 

 unpublished essay by hiin on the American Verb, to which I 

 have referred. 



§ 2. Humboldt's Studies in American Languages. 



The American languages occupied Humboldt's attention ear- 

 nestly and for many years. He was first led to their study by 

 his brother Alexander, who presented him with the large lin- 

 guistic collection he had amassed during his travels in South 

 and North America. 



While Prussian Minister in Rome (1802-08), he ransacked the 

 libraiy of the Gollegio Romano for rai'e or unpublished works 

 on American tongues; he obiained from the ex-Jesuit Forneri 

 all the information the latter could give about the Yurari, a 

 tongue spoken on the Meta river, New Granada ;f and he se- 

 cured accurate copies of all the manuscript material on these 



* Ueber die Vcrschiedenheit des menschlichen Sprachbaues und iJiren EinflusH arif 

 die geistige Entwickclung des Menschcngeschlechts. Prof. Adler translates this: 

 "The Structural Differences of Human Speech and their Influence ou the Intel- 

 lectual Development of the Human Race." The word (/eis^/fire, however, includes 

 emotional as well as intellectual things. 



t Ueber die Verschiedenheit, etc., Bd. vi, s. 271, note. I may say, once for all, 

 that my references, unless otherwise stated, are to the edition of Humboldt's 

 Gesammelte Werke, edited by his brother, Berlin, 1841-1852. 



