THE GESTURE-LANGUAGE. 25 



some measure resembling that of the gesture-language, with 

 its two constituent parts, the bringing forward objects and 

 actions in actual fact, and the mere suggestion of them by imi- 

 tation. 



It has however a syntax, which is worthy of careful ex- 

 amination. The syntax of speaking man differs according to 

 the language he may learn, " equus niger," " a black horse ; " 

 "hominem amo," "j'aime Thomme." But the deaf-mute 

 strings together the signs of the various ideas he wishes to 

 connect, in what appears to be the natural order in which they 

 follow one another in his mind, for it is the same among the 

 mutes of different countries, and is wholly independent of the 

 syntax which may happen to belong to the language of their 

 speaking friends. For instance, their usual construction is not 

 " black horse/' but " horse black >, " not " bring a black hat," 

 but " hat black bring ; " not " I am hungry, give me bread,'' 

 but " hungry me bread give." The essential independence of 

 the gesture-language may indeed be brought very clearly into 

 view, by noticing that ordinary educated vaen, when they first 

 begin to learn the language of signs, do not come naturally to 

 the use of its proper syntax, but, by arranging their gestures in 

 the order of the words they think in, make sentences which 

 are unmeaning or misleading to a deaf-mute, unless he can 

 reverse the process, by translating the gestures into words, and 

 considering what such a written sentence would mean. Going 

 once into a deaf-and-dumb school, and setting a boy to write 

 words on the black boards I drew in the air the outline of a 

 tent, and touched the inner part of my under-lip to indicate 

 "red," and the boy wrote accordingly "a red tent." The 

 teacher remarked that I did not seem to be quite a beginner 

 in the sign^language^ or I should have translated my English 

 thought verbati'jn, and put the "red" first. 



The fundamental principle which regulates the order of the 

 deaf-mute's signs seems to be that enunciated by Schmalz, 

 " that which seems to him the most important he always sets 

 before the rest, and that which seems to him superfluous he 

 leaves out. For instance, to say, 'My father gave me an 

 apple,' he makes the sign for ' apple,' then that for ' father/ 



