54 DARWINISM TESTED BY 



respiration and digestion are in the one- 

 celled organisms, or in the ovary of the higher 

 living beings.* 



We assume therefore that all languages 

 have had the same original form. When 

 man had found his way from gesticulation 

 and imitation of sound, to sounds expressive 

 of meaning, these were yet mere forms of 

 sound without any grammatical relation. 

 Still, with regard to the sound-material of 

 which they consisted, and in respect to the 

 meaning which they expressed, those sim- 

 plest beginnings of language differed among 

 the different people ; this is evinced by the 

 diversity of languages that have developed 

 themselves from those beginnings. We 

 suppose, therefore, an innumerable mul- 

 titude of primitive languages, but all alike, 

 of one and the same form. 



* Compare K. Snell, " die Schoepfung des Menschen." 

 Leipzig, 1863, S. 81, etc. — A. 



