SPEECH, l8l 



of absolutely similar individuals, but also by the presence of 

 individuals strikingly different, though in some respects com- 

 prised in the same class. In other words, analogies which do 

 not strike animals strike men. The child says Boiv-wow, first 

 to the house-dog, then, after a little, he says Bow-wow to the 

 terriers, mastiffs, and Newfoundlands he sees in the street. 

 A little later he does what an animal never does, he says 

 Bozv-zvow to a paste-board dog which barks when squeezed, 

 then to a paste-board dog which does not bark, but runs on 

 wheels, then to the silent motionless bronze dog which 

 ornaments the drawing-room, then to his little cousin who 

 runs about the room on all fours, then, at last, to a picture 

 representing a dog."* 



Now, in this small but typical history we have a clear 

 exhibition, in a simple form, of the development of a con- 

 notative name within the purely receptual sphere. At first 

 the word Bozv-wow was merely a denotative name — or a mark 

 affixed to a particular object of perception. But when the 

 child's mind took cognizance of the resemblances between 

 the house-dog, terriers, mastiffs, and Newfoundlands, it 

 expressed the fact by extending the name Boiv-zvow to all 

 these dogs. The name, from being particular, thus became 

 generic, or indicative of resemblances ; and, therefore, from 

 being merely denotative, became truly connotative : it now 

 served to express common attributes. Next, this receptual 

 connotation of the name was still further widened, so as to 

 include — or to signify — the resemblances between dogs and 

 their images, pictures, &c. Now, in these several and successive 

 acts of connotative naming, the child was obviously advancing 

 to higher and higher levels of receptual classification ; but, 

 no less obviously, it would be absurd to suppose that the 

 child was thus raising the name Bow-wow to any conceptual 

 value. All that any child in such a case is doing is to extend 

 its receptual appreciation of resemblance through widening 

 circles of generic grouping, and correspondingly to extend 

 the receptual connotation of a denotative name. In order to 



♦ Taine, Intelligence^ pp. 399, 400. 



