Chap.X. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 159 



CHAP. X. 



Language at firjl Monofy liable ah — This proved by the cafe of the Chi- 

 nele Language. — ObjeSlion arifing from the Polvfyllabical La/iguages 

 of North America^ an/wered. — Language neceffary for the inditu- 

 ti07i of Civil Society; — therefore 7nu(l have been in the Herdutg 

 StatCy though very imperfeSl — The firf Language confined to the 

 expreffiofi of our Senfations and De fires; — afterwardi it was extend- 

 ed to exprtfs names for things. — Progrefs in this matter ^ I ft, of 

 Particular names to form General: — 2dly, to conne& words by De- 

 rivation, Compofition^ and FleBion; — and, laftly, by Syntax. 



I NOW return to fpeak of the beginning of this wonderful Inven- 

 tion, Language. The lirft articulate founds, I am perluaded, 

 would be all monofyllables; for it was moft natural that men fhould 

 firft learn to pronounce one lyllable, and in that way make a word, 

 before they learned to put feveral fyllables together for that purpofe. 

 And this is proved by fad ; for the Chinefe language is certainly a 

 moft antient language, and', I am perfuaded, an original and primi- 

 tive language*. Now, in. the Chinefe, all the words are monofyl- 

 lables; 



* There is a Frenchman of, the name of Bergier, a Do<ftor in Theology, who has 

 publifhed a book, entitled, The Primitive Elements of Language, printed at Paris in 

 1764, in which he has endeavoured to prove, both from the reafon of the thing, which 

 I have mentioned, and from fundry examples which he gives us, not only from the 

 Chinefe language, but from the Hebrew, the Greek, and the Latin, that the radicak 

 words in all languages, which undoubtedly muft have been the fii'il words ufed, arc 

 monofyllables. 



