CXLVI ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT [kth. ann. 20 



nieiit.s are (1) sounds, which yive rise to the science of phonics; 

 (2) vocables or words, which give rise to tlie science of lexi- 

 cologv; (3) the use of words in sentences, which gives rise to 

 the science of grammar; (4) the derivation of words one from 

 another, which gives rise to the science of etymology; (5) the 

 signiticance of words, which gives rise to the science of oral 

 sematology. 



PHONICS 



The advantage which stuind possessed over other elements of 

 emotional language caused it to he nuich used and thus to be 

 highh' developed. In the process of this evolution special 

 organs of speech were produced. Vocal speech thus became 

 universal with mankind. In the passage of air thr(jugli the 

 throat by inhalation or expulsion, sounds are emitted by means 

 of the vibration of the vocal chords, which sounds are made in 

 great variety by lengthening or shortening the chords and by 

 j^assing the air with greater or less force. Another class of 

 sounds are produced by the modification of breathing with the 

 lips, teeth, tongue, palate, and nostrils. The consonants may 

 be classified in this manner. 



With such a complex apparatus, subject to the will of the 

 speaker, a, great A-arietv of consonantal and vowel sounds may 

 be produced. In tlie practice of ages the undift'erentiated 

 sounds made by primeval man are gradually specialized. This 

 specialization })ertains more to the consonants than to the 

 vowels. A peculiarity is found in these consonantal sounds, 

 for in the difi"erent languages particular differentiations occur 

 more or less (-haracteristic of them severallv, so that a lano-uag-e 

 may often be distinguished l)y its consonants. One language 

 may be remarkable for its development of labial sounds, 

 another for its development of dental sounds, another for its 

 development of lingual sounds, another for its development of 

 nasal sounds, another for its development of palatal sounds. 



Again, languages may var)' in being more or less vocalic — 

 that is, the speakers may resort more or less to the vocalic 

 sounds as compared with the consonantal sounds. Again, there 

 are certain sounds that are intermediate between vowels and 



