CHAPTER VIII. 



TITLES. 



399. Adhering tenaciously to all his elders taught 

 him, the primitive man deviates into novelty only through 

 unintended modifications. Everyone now knows that lan 

 guages are not devised but evolve; and the same is true 

 of usages. To many proofs of this, the foregoing chapters 

 have added further proofs. 



The like holds of titles. Looked at as now existing, 

 these appear artificial: there is suggested the idea that 

 once upon a time they were consciously settled. But this 

 is no more true than it is true that our common words were 

 once consciously settled. Xames of objects and qualities 

 and acts, were at the outset directly or indirectly descrip 

 tive; and the names we class as titles were so too. Just as 

 the deaf-mute who calls to mind a person he means by mim 

 icking a peculiarity, has no idea of introducing a symbol ; so 

 neither has the savage when he indicates a place as the one 

 where the kangaroo was killed or the one where the cliff 

 fell down ; so neither has he when he suggests an individual 

 by referring to some marked trait in his appearance or fact 

 in his life ; and so neither has he when he gives those names, 

 literally descriptive or metaphorically descriptive, which 

 now and again develop into titles. 



The very conception of a proper name grew up una 

 wares. Among the uncivilized a child becomes known as 

 &quot; Thunderstorm,&quot; or &quot; Xew Moon,&quot; or &quot; Father-come- 



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