BY HERMANN B. RITZ, M.A. gj- 



Throughout this demonstration, the arguments have 

 been based on general principles which apply to all lan- 

 guages. It would have been feasible and interesting to 

 trace analogies between the Tasmanian speech and 

 other languages, but it was necessary to confine our 

 attention within narrower limits. 



A reader acquainted with the Greek dialects will no 

 doubt recall many instances of interchange of conso- 

 nant, of infixes, and of instability of vovv^els ; and similar 

 phenomena can be discerned in other languages. Indeed, 

 some of the roots seem to be of almost universal 

 occurrence. 



What I have endeavoured to do is to find the prin- 

 ciples by which the speech of the primitive race of the 

 Tasmanians was governed. It seems that the languages 

 of the Australian continent are far more developed ; 

 however, this is a subject for further research. 



It is curious to note the absence of spirant and 

 sibilant sounds from the Tasmanian speech, and alsa 

 from that of the Maori of New Zealand. The latter 

 language is of very elaborate structure, and has been 

 said to be akin to the Japanese. I do not possess suffi- 

 cient information to be able to discuss this point, but 

 it would certainly be interesting to discover, in case of 

 such affinity being proved, how the Maori came to be 

 without spirants or sibilants in their speech, while the 

 Japanese still have at least some of them. 



The study of the Tasmanian language is hardly 

 begun ; but, if that language really represents the very 

 beginning of human speech, its investigation cannot fail 

 to excite great interest among the scholars of the world. 



It seems at least probable that, as the individual and 

 social life of the Tasmanian Aborigines was demon- 

 strably at the lowest stage of human activity, their lan- 

 guage, too, would be almost primitive and but one step 

 removed from the inarticulate cry of an infant. Tliis 

 consideration has incited me to endeavour to recon- 

 struct the ancient speech of Tasmania. 



