THE TRANSITION IN THE RACE. 36 1 



which led up to them, the time which was occupied by them, 

 and the particular method of their occurrence. In such cases 

 it often happens that the more certain an historian may be 

 that such and such an event did take place, the greater is the 

 number of ways in which he sees that it might have 

 taken place. Merely for the sake of showing that this is 

 likewise the case in the matter now before us, I will devote 

 the present chapter to a consideration of three alternative — 

 and equally hypothetical — histories of the transition. But, 

 from what has just been said, I hope it will be understood 

 that I attach no argumentative importance to any of these 

 hypotheses. 



Sundry German philologists have endeavoured to show- 

 that speech originated in wholly meaningless sounds, which in 

 the first instance were due to merely physiological conditions. 

 In their opinion the purely reflex mechanisms connected with 

 vocalization would have been sufficient to yield not only many 

 differences of tone under different states as to suffering, 

 pleasure, effort, &c., but even the germ of articulation in the 

 meaningless utterance of vowel sounds and consonants. 

 Thus, for example, Lazarus says : — " Der Process der eigen- 

 thiimlich menschlichen Laut-Erzeugung, die Articulation 

 der Ton, die Hervorbringung von Vocalen und Consonanten, 

 ist demnach auf rein physiologischem Boden gegeben — in der 

 urpriinglichen Natur des menschlichen physischen bewegten 

 Organismus begriindet, und wird vor aller Willkiir und Absicht 

 also ohne Einwirkung des Geistes obwohl auf Veranlassung von 

 Gefuhlen und Empfindungen vollzogen." * 



This, it will be observed, is the largest possible extension 

 of the interjectional theory of the origin of speech. It assumes 

 that not only inarticulate, but also articulate sounds were 

 given forth by the *' sprachlosen Urmenschen," in the way of 

 instinctive cries, wholly destitute of any semiotic intention. 

 By repeated association, however, they are supposed to have 

 acquired, as it were automatically, a semiotic value. For, 



• Das Lebcn der Seek, ii. 47. 



