Physical Evolution of Man 589 



important point for us now is that, whether primitive or selec- 

 tive survivals, Sanskrit roots are largely verbs that denote 

 hand-arm action. Of the remaining fifty or thereby, these 

 like bite, shake (or tremble), fall, blow, and choose are mainly 

 expressive of frequent acts that are common to all or most of 

 the mammals. 



Evidently, therefore, the increasing perfection, importance, 

 and preponderating activity of the hand-arm was correlated 

 with, and even stimulated to, word-formation and expression. 



Various views have been propounded by philologists as to 

 the possible origin of such simple root-words. That which un- 

 questionably explains their derivations to a greater or less ex- 

 tent is the principle of onomatopoeia, or the imitation by ar- 

 ticulate names of sounds obviously distinctive of the objects 

 or actions named. Thus the Anglo-Saxon creak, quack, thwack, 

 crawl, croak, etc., evidently had such an origin. But, if we 

 take as our guide what we may term the root-calls or root- 

 words of the lower animals, the conclusion seems fairly well 

 established that these originated as vocal expressions, that in 

 tone, intensity, and inflexion are the mental equivalent or 

 response — on the principle of action and reaction — to the ex- 

 ternal stimulus. 



It seems to the writer that Max Miiller's objection to the 

 onomatopoeic origin of languages (186: 181), is due to his per- 

 ceiving, but perceiving too strongly, that many words may 

 have originated as psychologic "appropriates," if we may so 

 say, that in tone inflection and quality were suited to or psy- 

 chologically appropriate to the action, though the one had no 

 exact sound relation to the other. 



But so appropriate in many cases are the sounds and the 

 human word-expression for these that many verbs may be 

 accepted as having originated in onomatopoeic manner. Thus 

 the "purring" of the hen and some related sounds in other 

 animals that indicate restful satisfaction are exactly ap})ro- 

 priate, and have no relation to other actions of these animals. 

 It however is somewhat allied to the "crooning" cradle 

 lullaby of a mother over her child. Again the wild exultant 



