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LANGUAGE. 



jnguaje. LANGUAGE, (from the French Lnngue, and that from 

 - "Y~~' the Latin Lingua, " the tongue,") in its proper sense, 

 ^iuon^ meaas " the expression orenunciation of human thoughts 

 and tentinu-nts, by means of the articulate sounds of 

 the human voice." It has usually, however, been ex- 

 tended to comprehend in general, " all the means of 

 expressing or announcing thought and feeling by sen- 

 sible signs." Taken in this extended sense, language 

 may properly be distinguished into \titnral or Instinc- 

 tive, and Artificial or Conventional ; as the sensible signs, 

 I",- which the annunciation is made, may be either 

 s'j{jeted immediately by nature, or formed by human 

 skill and intention. 

 errwtv The power of communicating the inward thoughts 



re. ami feelings, must be essential to a being destined to 

 live at all in society. Without this power, each indi- 

 vidual mutt for ever remain insulated and solitary, in- 

 capable of either imparting or receiving social aid or 

 enjoyment. Nature has accordingly provided means 

 for such communication, sufficient, in all cases, for that 

 degree of social union in which each class of animals 

 is to subsist. The inferior species accomplish it by 

 certain signs and gestures, and, above all, by peculiar 

 sounds or cries, wholly taught by instinct, and under- 

 stood also, as far as necessary, by immediate instinct, 

 without instruction, and independent of experience. 

 This limited extent of the power of communication, is 

 agsfcjent for the purposes of their being ; but for man, 

 a rational as well as social being, much more was requi- 

 site. In common -with other animals, indeed, he is fur- 

 nished by nature with certain powers of employing 

 the bmbs or the voice, M as to denote, in a manner re- 

 cognised instinctively by all his fellow men, many of 

 his inward feelings, emotions, and desires : these, there- 

 fore, often serve as natural signs, for imparting to one 

 man what puses in the mind of another. But these 

 natural signs are few, and extremely limited in their 

 application. They mapr intimate a few of the more sim- 

 ple feelings ; but by far the greater part of what passes 

 in the mind, cannot thus be made a subject of exhibi- 

 tion. If men are to hold a communication co-exten- 

 ds of ooc- **vr with their faculties as rational beings, a far more 

 extended class of signs must be formed and employ - 

 fil. by UM conventional Me of which, all the various 

 tkMurist*, feelings, and emotions of the mind may be 

 specifically declared. This necessity gives rise to what 

 i termed Artificial or Comenlioaal, in contradistinction 

 to \aturnl Language.* 



Natural Language. 



: i HE has Establish ill a connection between many 

 of the feelings and passions of the human heart, and 



certain motions or changes in the external appearance Language. 

 universally known and recognised. The angry coun- St ~"Y~^'' 

 tenance, the scowling eye, the indignant frown, mark 

 with precision what is passing within ; the placid look, 

 the composed mien, the benignant smile, give univer- 

 sal pleasure. The same is the case with many other 

 feelings. These natural signs are interpreted without 

 reasoning ; neither the savage nor the polished citizen 

 are at a loss for their meaning. They are applicable, 

 however, chiefly to the feelings and emotions, though 

 they may occasionally be made to express also the dic- 

 tates of the understanding. 



The natural signs, by which the inward thoughts and classes of 

 feelings can thus be externally announced, are of three natural 

 classes: Modifications of the features of the face; vari- signs. 

 ntions of the limbs or gestures of the body ; and modu- 

 lation* of the voice. These constitute a primitive and 

 uniform language, to which recourse can be had in every 

 society, when conventional signs are unattainable or in- 

 adequate to the particular occasion. 



The expression of mental feelings by the features of features of 

 the face is a matter of general observation. From this the face. 

 expression, it has been ju.tly remarked, much of the ex- 

 cellence of the art of the painter, and not a little of that 

 of the statuary, is derived. A familiar acquaintance too 

 with this class of signs, is of the highest importance to 

 the actor ; and, on many occasions, the orator will find 

 his advantage in cultivating it. All this holds true of 

 the expression of feelings and passions. These are of- 

 ten fully exhibited in the features. But nut satisfied 

 with this, many have gone farther, and maintain the 

 countenance to be an index not of passion only but of 

 character. Hence has arisen, what has been termed "P n ot 

 the science of physiognomy. It is well known how Pj 1 J rsl< '8 no ' 

 much this has, in all ages, engaged the attention of in- ' 

 genious men, and to how many discussions and inves- 

 tigations it has given occasion. The examination of 

 these belongs to the article of PHYSIOGNOMY. It is suf- 

 ficient to remark at present, that it is evident from uni- 

 versal experience, and even from the speculations, how- 

 ever fanciful, of the physiognomist, that a class of na- 

 tural signs, indicating many of the emotions of the 

 mind, does unquestionably exist ; and this forms one 

 branch of natural language. The particular detail of 

 these signs themselves, constitutes the chief part of the 

 physiognomical science. 



Besides the features of the face, we have another class Gestures 

 of natural signs, indicative of mental emotions, in the and motions 

 gesture* and motion* of the hotly. The knowledge of f the limbs 

 these, as well as of the former, must always be indispen- and bo&y. 

 sable to the historical painter, the statuary, and the act- 

 or, and ought never to be neglected by the orator. In 

 sadness and melancholy, the head is apt to sink, and 



MSI 



ruV idea, that language i 

 cwuider as jurt It ha. 



formed ami invented for the purpose of an- 

 indeed been ingeniously contended of late, that 



UM aminuninlian of our thoughts u not in fact the object or purpose of language, but that iu real or definite object consists in the prodtic- 

 Ho* /rtey*to In H* wAmdi ofoOteri ty mrami of oral itgnt. It is readily admitted, that the production of certain thoughts in the mind of 

 another, is. and awst be, aa ultimate object of die use of language ; thin u implied in the very act of employing it. Hut this ultimate ob- 

 in no raped peculiar to language ; it may be equally predicated at every ipecies of mutual or social action. The specific purpose of 

 i to be nissgbt net in ike ullimaM object, wbich it aim* at in common with other processes of human action, but in the peculiar 

 which it M onptered for the atammeot at' that okssisst object. Now it tecmf evident, that it U solely by the enunciation of the 

 . f illliji aad aiiiiil ajii of the sjiiarr, that language on serve to produce thoughts in the mind of another. We conceive 

 therefart fullr warranted, in holding toe communtcauoa or annunciation of ihougott, feelings, or mental energies, the direct and 



