2l6 THE ASCENT OF MAN 



amusement being taken by an obvious association 

 from the laughter which it excites. How indirect 

 a derivation may be is illustrated by the word 

 which the Basutos of South Africa use for courtier. 

 The buzz of a certain fly resembles the sound ntsi- 

 ntsiy and they apply this word to those who buzz 

 round the chief as a fly buzzes round a piece 

 of meat. As everyone knows " papa " for father, 

 is evolved into papa the pope, and " abba " the 

 Hebrew for father into abbot. For plurals, a 

 doubling of the word is often used, but no doubt 

 at first quantity was expressed by gestures or by 

 numbering on the fingers. " Orang " is the Malay 

 for Man, " Orang-orang " for men, while "Orang- 

 utan " is wild man. Verbs are formed on the 

 same principle as nouns. In the Tecuna language 

 of Brazil the verb to sneeze is haitschu, while the 

 Welsh for a sneeze is tis. Other verbs which came 

 to have large and comprehensive meanings arose 

 out of the simple activities and occupations of 

 primitive life. Thus the first verb in the Bible, 

 the Hebrew " bara " now meaning create, was 

 originally used for cutting or hewing, the first step 

 in making things. In the Borneo language of 

 Africa, the verb " to make " comes from the word 

 tando, to weave. In English, "to suffer" meant to 

 bear as a burden, and to " apprehend an idea " was 



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