248 ON THE GROWTH AND USE OF A SYMBOLICAL LANGUAGE. 



really points to an original identity ? It does not seem 

 unreasonable to suppose that in the very early stage of 

 human speech, each separate word represented a complete 

 statement and conveyed its own independent information. 

 On this supposition, the growth of vocal language would 

 proceed according to laws in some respects analogous to 

 those which shape the development of a language of 

 symbols. Our abstract nouns, for instance, seem to be ' 

 nothing but abbreviations for original statements. Take 

 the compact and well-known saying, " Unity is strength." 

 What is this but an abbreviation for the conditional state- 

 ment, '^ If a company be united, they will be strong "? or, 

 as it may be otherwise expressed, "If the statement 

 symbolized by the abbreviation unity for ' They are 

 united ' be applicable to a company of persons, so will 

 also the statement symbolized by the abbreviation strength 

 for ' They are strong.^ " 



But here I must stop. Speculations as to the primaeval 

 forms of human speech do not come fairly within the 

 limits prescribed by the title of this article ; and further 

 discussion of the subject in this direction would therefore 

 be irrelevant. 



