OF LANGUAGES 



103 



overestimate the importance of numerals agree!:::; in Efferent 

 languages. Of all wcrls numerals ■: : ' — , en :1 themselves 

 especially to be adopted in consequence : : their practical use- 

 fulness, and though such a universal agreement has not ye! 

 been attained in speech, it Dearly exists in writing*. 



The introduction of a common plural formation represents, 

 in a language a progress in the iireefion :: freseraEsatioii, but 

 the concrete nature of number as exhibited in plurality 

 forbids it to exercise a very important influence on the 

 character of a language. 



Nevertheless number, tirether with grader, though the 

 former to a very small extent, are those c~: categories which 

 offer an insight into the mental activity of a language ; while 

 space and time, manifesrlng themselves mostly in leelension 

 and conjugation, exhibit in their outward appearance the 

 external machinery :: which a language resorts in order to 

 express them, (render and number represent accordingly in 

 a language the internal v.- irking :: the mini, while space and 

 time are rather the maintainers of the outward changes and 

 m: iincaci ens. Beth must *ce considered together in order to 

 obtain a true insight into the character of a language. 



TVe reserve for examination at another time the external 

 formation of language ae if appears mainly in declension and 

 conjugation. This particular subject has always ccrracted 

 the attention of scholars, and much more is known about it 

 than about what we may call the reflective portion of speech. 

 Though much more must be done to enable us to establish 

 with [ :si:i~e assurance a classification of languages, yet we 

 hope that what is known of the liffsrent tongues of the globe 

 enables as : : f : re : a the formation of a system which, however 

 imperfect in its details, contains in itself the embryo of a 

 s:ien:in: arrangement of languages, which, in ;rier to be 

 true, must not contradict but :: :n:ide with the acknowledged 

 laws of anthropology. 



