THE EVOLUTION OF LANGUAGE 221 



while a word may be a mere caprice. Perhaps, 

 indeed, the greatest marvel about philology is that 

 there should be a philology at all — that Languages 

 should be so rich in association, so pregnant with 

 the history and poetry of the past. Into the prob- 

 lem, therefore, of how the infinite variety of words 

 in a Language was acquired it is unnecessary to 

 enter at length. Once the idea had dawned of 

 expressing meaning by sounds, the formation of 

 words and even of Languages is a mere detail. 

 We have probably all invented words. Almost 

 every family of children invents words of its own, 

 and cases are known where quite considerable 

 Languages have been manufactured in the nursery. 

 When boys play at brigands and pirates they in- 

 vent pass-words and names, and from mere love 

 of secrets and mysteries concoct vocabularies which 

 no one can understand but themselves. 



This simple fact indeed has been used with great 

 plausibility to account for differences in dialect 

 among different tribes, and even for the partial 

 origin of new Languages. Thus the structure of 

 the Indian languages has long puzzled philologists. 

 Whitney informs us that as regards the material of 

 expression, there is " irreconcilable diversity " among 

 them. " There are a very considerable number of 

 groups between whose significant signs exist no 



