RELATIONS OF GERMAN LINGUISTICS 285 



period, and thereby turned their attention more or less away from 

 a similarly energetic investigation of sentence-accent, which is no less- 

 important. Only in recent times have more determined efforts been 

 made to solve the problems of sentence-rhythm and of sentence- 

 melody, or, to be even more general, of language-rhythm and lan- 

 guage-melody. Although we may not have advanced beyond the 

 initial stages in this particular field, it at least seems certain that 

 the key to the understanding of these language-phenomena has been 

 discovered. 



All this, to be sure, most directly concerns linguistics. Yet these 

 more recent investigations of accent assume added significance 

 when we recall that the individual speaker especially if he be an 

 author, and no matter whether he be writing in verse or prose is 

 under the ban of certain rhythmic-melodic conceptions, which un- 

 consciously influence his choice of expressions. This influence is so 

 strong that an author's individual production, often even his entire 

 work, assumes a more or less plain, yet easily recognizable character- 

 istic rhythmic-melodic impress. In language-melody especially, the 

 personal peculiarity of the individual author usually finds clear and 

 definite expression, and it therefore becomes an important factor 

 in the separation of unrelated portions of a preserved text. Per- 

 sonal observation conducted along these lines for several years con- 

 vinces me that there is no phase of philological criticism which may 

 not receive new light from this source, whether we are dealing with the 

 selection of different versions of a text and the accurate determin- 

 ation of linguistic and metrical forms or with the most complicated 

 problems of higher criticism. The methods to be employed in the 

 investigation and application of the individual rhythmic-melodic 

 standards are difficult indeed and have been determined only in 

 small measure. Years will no doubt pass by before empirical proof 

 of the validity of this thesis can be established in detail. Yet even at 

 this day we may express the fond hope that the evidence will be forth- 

 coming, thus proving anew that philology and linguistics will attain 

 the best results only if they advance faithfully hand in hand towards 

 the solution of common problems. 



