40 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



The criteria of rank in languages are, first, grade of or- 

 ganization, i. e., the degree to which the grammatic processes 

 and methods are specialized, and the parts of speech differ- 

 entiated ; second, sematologic content, that is, the body of 

 thought which the language is competent to convey. 



The grammatic processes may be used for three purposes : 



First, for derivation, where a new word to express a new 

 idea is made by combining two or more old words, or by 

 changing the vowel of one word, or by changing the intona- 

 tion of one word. 



Second, for modification, a word may be qualified or defined 

 by the processes of combination, vocalic mutation or into- 

 nation. 



It should here be noted that the plane between derivation 

 and qualification is not absolute. 



Third, for relation. When words as signs of ideas are 

 used together to express thought the relation of the words 

 must be expressed by some means. In English the relation 

 of words is expressed both by placement and combination, 

 i. e., inflection for agreement. 



It should here be noted that paradigmatic inflections are 

 used for two distinct purposes, qualification and relation. A 

 word is qualified by inflection when the idea expressed by 

 the inflection pertains to the idea expressed by the word in- 

 flected ; thus a noun is qualified by inflection when its num- 

 ber and gender are expressed. A word is related by inflec- 

 tion when the office of the word in the sentence is pointed 

 out thereby ; thus, nouns are related by case inflections ; 

 verbs are related by inflections for gender, number, and per- 

 son. All inflection for agreement is inflection for relation. 



In English, the three grammatic processes are highly 

 specialized. 



Combination is used chiefly for derivation, but to some 

 slight extent for qualification and relation in the paradig- 

 matic categories. But its use in this manner as compared 

 with many other languages has almost disappeared. 



