XV 



stated." He adds, "a nobler subject of study cannot be conceived, for it 

 forms the main instrument of man's superior development, to which he 

 owes it that he stands so far above the rest of the animal world." We 

 shall here consider only the theories of the origin of language ; but the 

 remainder of the book will well repay the labour of those who will read 

 it carefully. 



The theory of James Harris, in his 'Hermes,' is that a "word is a voice 

 articulate and significant by compact." This theory may now be allowed 

 to repose quietly with Rousseau's theory of the Social Contract ; no man 

 will disturb their rest. There are two other theories of the origin of 

 Language, one of which is thus stated by Professor Max Miiller : — "that 

 man in his primitive and perfect state possessed the faculty of giving ex- 

 pression to the rational conceptions of his mind;" "that this faculty was 

 an instinct, an instinct of the mind as irresistible as any other instinct;" 

 and further, " the faculty peculiar to man in his primitive state, by which 

 every impression from without received its vocal expression from within, 

 must be accepted as an ultimate fact." This theory puts an end to all 

 inquiries on the origin of language. "Whether the progenitors of the 

 human race were one perfect pair or many perfect pairs, they could trans- 

 mit their language to their children in the way in which it is now transmitted. 

 But language is subject to change in the course of time and under new 

 circumstances ; and it is easily corrupted, as we know. The conclusion 

 from this theory is that all languages which have existed and exist now, 

 even the imperfect languages of savage people, are derived from this 

 language of man " in his primitive and perfect state." 



The other theory is that of Mr. Key, and of others also, thai; language 

 has been made by man. All men speak, and all have the same organs of 

 speech ; but there is a wonderful diversity in their speech ; and yet, as 

 they use the same organs, we may expect to find some resemblance in 

 their language, varied, however, by circumstances which are very different 

 and often very dime tilt to estimate. Mr. Key says, "I conclude with the 

 expression of a strong opinion that original language is mimetic, in other 

 words, consisted solely in the imitation of natural sounds;" and in another 

 place he says that "it is all but universally admitted that some portion of 

 language owes its origin to an imitation of the sounds of nature." 



According to this theory man in his primitive state was not perfect, 

 and he could not even speak ; his progress towards speaking was like his 

 progress to other useful sciences and arts, slow and laborious through 

 long ages of suffering and sorrow. The ancient writers had a perception 

 of this melancholy truth, as Horace (Sat. i. 3. 99) when he wrote 

 " Cum prorepserunt primis animalia terris, 

 Mutum et turpe pecus," &c. ; 



on which Lyell (' Antiquity of Man ') says, " The opinion entertained ge- 

 nerally by the classical writers of Greece and Eome, that man in the first 

 stage of his existence was but just removed from the brutes, is faithfully 



