CXLVIII ADMINISTRATIVE KEPOET [eth. ann. 20 



iiig wavs. It is thus that the stiideut of the phonics of many 

 languages will always have a perplexing problem to solve. 



Primitive languages are widely separated from one another. 

 As they are now found they are already evolved into a high 

 state of complexity and special sounds are developed in ever)' 

 one, for the centuries during which they have been spoken 

 can not be enumerated. Some languages are more highly 

 evolved than others, but there is no reason to believe that one 

 tongue has its roots more deeply embedded in antiquity than 

 another. Surely no ])hilologist would dare to affirm that the 

 roots of one language are more ancient than those of another. 



The philologist may compare a language as it is spoken 

 now with the same language as it was spoken in some ancient 

 time, and he may also compare a less developed language 

 with the ancient stages of a more highly developed language. 

 In doing this he may speak of a current language as if it were 

 antique ; but we must understand liy this not that he affirms 

 g'reater autiquitv for the language, but that he affirms for the 

 methods of the lower language a state of evolution revealed in 

 the ancient forms of a highly developed tongue. 



LEXICOLOGY 



I use the term lexicology to denote the science of vocables 

 or words. The dictionary and the thesaurus illustrate two 

 methods of assembling words for use. By one they are 

 arranged alphabetically, by the other they are arranged clas- 

 sifically with au al})luibetic key. The science of words is pur- 

 sued in both of these methods, and I call the study of words 

 the science of lexicology. It will be seen that tliis science 

 is well differentiated from the other sciences of language, 

 although it can not dispense with plionology, granunar, ety- 

 mologv, and sematology, for the elements of language are 

 concomitant. 



For dictionaries the alphabetic arrangement of words is not 

 onh- convenient but necessary to their utilization. A classifi- 

 cation of words l)V their meanings is a very difficult task which 

 has never been accomplished in any perfect manner, and yet 

 such a classification, to wliich an alphalietic key is appended. 



