330 THE LAW OF EVOLUTION. 



words implies a .low degree of development, and that in the 

 formation of higher languages out of lower there is a pro- 

 gressive integration, which reduces the polysyllables to dis- 

 syllables and monosyllables, is an inference confirmed by 

 the history of our own language. Anglo-Saxon steorra has 

 been in course of time consolidated into English star, mono, 

 into moon, and nama into name. The transition through 

 the intermediate semi-Saxon is clearly traceable. Sunu 

 became in semi-Saxon sune,&nd in English son : the final e 

 of sune being an evanescent form of the original u. The 

 change from the Anglo-Saxon plural, formed by the dis- 

 tinct syllable .as, to our plural formed by the appended 

 consonant $, shows us the same thing : smithas in becom- 

 ing smiths, and endas in becoming ends, illustrate pro- 

 gressive coalescence. So, too, does the disappearance of the 

 terminal an in the infinitive mood of verbs ; as shown in the 

 transition from the Anglo-Saxon cuman to the semi-Saxon 

 cumme, and to the English come. Moreover the process has 

 been slowly going on, even since what we distinguish as Eng- 

 lish was formed. In Elizabeth's time, verbs were still very 

 frequently pluralized by the addition of en we tell was we 

 tellenj and in some rural districts this form of speech may 

 even now be heard. In like manner the terminal ed of the 

 past tense, has united with the word it modifies. Burn-ed 

 has in pronunciation become burnt ; and even in writing the 

 terminal t has in some cases taken the place of the ed. Only 

 where antique forms in general are adhered to, as in the 

 church-service, is the distinctness of this inflection still 

 maintained. Further, we see that the compound vowels 

 have been in many cases fused into single vowels. That in 

 "bread the e and a were originally both sounded, is proved by 

 the fact that they are still so sounded in parts where old hab- 

 its linger. We, however, have contracted the pronunciation 

 into "bred ; and we have made like changes in many other 

 common words. Lastly, let it be noted that where the fre- 

 quency of repetition is greatest, the process is carried fur- 



