140 MENTAL EVOLUTION IN MAN. 



Hun, who recorded it in the Monthly Journal of Psycho- 

 logical Medicine, 1868. 



"The subject of this observation is a girl aged four and a 

 half years, sprightly, intelligent, and in good health. The 

 mother observed, when she was two years old, that she was 

 backward in speaking, and only used the words ' papa ' and 

 * mamma.' After that she began to use words of her own 

 invention, and though she understood readily what she said, 

 never employed the words used by others. Gradually she 

 enlarged her vocabulary until it has reached the extent 

 described below. She has a brother eighteen months younger 

 than herself, who has learned her language, so that they can talk 

 freely together. He, however, seems to have adopted it only 

 because he has more intercourse with her than the others ; and 

 in some instances he will use a proper word with his mother, 

 and his sister's word with her. She, however, persists in 

 using only her own words, though her parents, who are uneasy 

 about her peculiarity of speech, make great efforts to induce 

 her to use proper words. As to the possibility of her having 

 learned these words from others, it is proper to state that her 

 parents are persons of cultivation, who use only the English 

 language. The mother has learned French, but never uses 

 the language in conversation. The domestics, as well as the 

 nurses, speak English without any peculiarities, and the child 

 has heard even less than usual of what is called baby-talk. 

 Some of the words and phrases have a resemblance to the 

 French ; but it is certain that no person using that language has 

 frequented the house, and it is doubtful whether the child has 

 on any occasion heard it spoken. There seems to be no diffi- 

 culty about the vocal organs. She uses her language readily 

 and freely, and when she is with her brother they converse 

 with great rapidity and fluency. 



" Dr. Hun then gives the vocabulary, which, he states, was 

 such as he had ' been able at different times to compile from 

 the child herself, and especially from the report of her mother. 

 From this statement we may infer that the list probably did 

 not include the whole number of words in this child-language. 



