55 



K Mecjitm from ff|£ papers 



The Growth of the English Language, 



By Samuel Wood, Esq., f.c.a. 



Lecture delivered viva voce, 29th January, igio. 



The lecturer having been introduced by Colonel E. E. Markwick' 

 c.b., f.r.a.s., proceeded at once to remark that his subject 

 could not quite be considered "popular," in the ordinary sense 

 of the word, although he thought it should prove interesting 

 to the members of the Bournemouth Natural Science Society. 

 Of course, in an hour or so one could only get a superficial view 

 of a very wide subject. 



The science of language, he said, brings us to the secrets 

 of thought which have lain hidden in the dark chambers of the 

 ancient labyrinth of language, and shows us the intricate passages 

 of the human mind as they are encased in the words which have 

 come down to us. Language consists of certain material elements 

 or roots, with prefixes, suffixes and infixes. These roots are 

 conceptual and capable of almost infinite expansion. The etymo- 

 logical meaning of every word shows us the first intention with 

 which the word was originally framed. For instance, how does 

 moment come to mean this present time ? Momentum, movimentum, 

 movere, in Latin meant motion, and referred probably to the shadow 

 across the sun-dial. But momentum also meant the weight which 

 makes the scales of the balance move, which was therefore a 

 matter of importance, decisive, momentous. 



The growth of our thoughts has, therefore, been historical and 

 continuous, and words which seem to us modern, belong to the 

 very granite of our thoughts, speaking in a geological analogy. 

 Language is the vehicle of thought. It is the kingdom of con- 

 ception and thought. It is the means by which Reason can make 

 herself understood. As seed finds its expression in flower and fruit, 

 so Thought expresses itself in words. The ancient Greek concep- 

 tion of language and thought was comprised and expressed in the 

 one word Logos. The modern philosopher, Max Miiller, declares 

 that thought and language are identical — for without a name we 

 should not be able to distinguish one thing from another. It has 

 been said by Ruskin that in science you must not talk before you 

 know ; in language you must not talk before you think. The 

 lecturer dwelt on the importance and necessity of using words in 

 their right place and right sense — for by the omission of such an 



