﻿110 
  PRIMEVAL 
  MAN. 
  

  

  and 
  Turanian 
  races. 
  "* 
  The 
  principle 
  on 
  

   which 
  the 
  evidence 
  of 
  language 
  is 
  interpreted 
  

   is 
  very 
  simple. 
  The 
  sounds 
  or 
  words 
  by 
  

   which 
  men 
  designate 
  things 
  are 
  for 
  the 
  most 
  

   part 
  arbitrary, 
  and 
  therefore 
  conventional. 
  

   The 
  sign 
  and 
  the 
  thing 
  signified 
  have 
  no 
  

   natural 
  or 
  necessary 
  connection. 
  The 
  names 
  

   of 
  a 
  very 
  few 
  animals 
  may 
  be 
  imitations 
  of 
  

   their 
  voice. 
  No 
  argument, 
  for 
  example, 
  could 
  

   be 
  founded 
  on 
  the 
  word 
  Cuckoo 
  being 
  used 
  

   by 
  the 
  most 
  diverse 
  tribes 
  to 
  designate 
  a 
  bird 
  

   which 
  sounds 
  these 
  two 
  syllables 
  in 
  its 
  cry. 
  

   But 
  such 
  cases 
  are 
  very 
  rare 
  even 
  in 
  the 
  

   names 
  of 
  beasts. 
  Wherever 
  the 
  same 
  thing 
  is 
  

   denoted 
  by 
  the 
  same 
  word, 
  and 
  where 
  there 
  

   is 
  no 
  natural 
  connection 
  between 
  them, 
  there 
  

  

  * 
  "Chips 
  from 
  a 
  German 
  Workshop," 
  vol. 
  i. 
  pp. 
  63, 
  64. 
  

  

  