42 



ON THE CLASSIFICATION 



euphonic character of the South African tongues/ 9 based as it 

 is on the alliteral concords of the initial sounds, differs from 

 the former in its further development, but the propensity of 

 assimilating the sound is common to both. The principle 

 of vocal harmony is inculcated in Mongolian, Tungusian, 

 Turkish, Finnish and Dravidian 40 languages. Most of the 

 dialects of America 41 equally submit to its sway. 



It is among Asiatic and American dialects that the 

 diversity of sound is often employed to express the differ- 

 ence between male and female sex, instead of describing it 

 by using the adjectives " male " and "female." The term 

 which was originally adopted expressed both, but in the 

 course of time the difference of sex was marked by 

 difference of sound. The softer voice being peculiar to 

 women, the softer sound, or what was considered to be so, 

 was chosen to denote the female sex, and the harder tone 

 was applied to designate male individuals. This mode of 

 determining, however singular it may appear at first sight, 

 rests upon a discrimination based on practical experience. 

 A few examples suffice for explanation. In the Mandshu 

 language Chacha signifies man, Gheche woman; Ama father, 

 Erne mother ; Ahun elder brother, Eiun elder sister ; in 



(39) See in the first volume of the Journal of the American Oriental 

 Society the essays on the Zulu language by the Rev. James C. Bryant, page 

 388, and that by the Rev. Lewis Grout, pages 423-25, and compare the preface 

 to the Rev. William J. Davis' Kaffir language, page iv. 



(40) Compare " M. Alexander Castren's Grammatik der Samojedischen 

 Sprachen ; herausgegeben von Anton Schiefner, St. Petersburg, 1854, pages 18, 

 23 ; §53." Unter Vocalharmonie versteht man in den Altaischen Sprachen 

 das durch die Anforderungen des Wohllauts bedingte Gesetz, dass die Vocale 

 in der ersten oder Stammsilbe des Worts in gewissem Grade die Art und 

 Beschaffenheit der Vocale in den nachfolgenden Silben bestimmen. Dieses 

 Gesetz zeigt in den verschiedenen Sprachen manche Verschiedenheiten, aber 

 fur die meisten Turkischen, Finnischen und Mongolischen Sprachen gelten 

 indessen folgende allgemeine Bestimmungen. 



(41) Compare F. L. O. Rohrig's Essay " On the Language of the Dakota 

 or Sioux Indians " in the Smithsonian Report of 1871, page 437. 



