340 
matopceia, and Interjectional Cries. The Imitation of Mr. 
Darwin is probably identical with the Onomatopoeia of Prof. 
Sayce, although not exactly with onomatopoeia in the sense in 
which I understand the term.* Before calling in the assistance 
of Dr. Bleekf to show us how imitation practically operated, we 
may notice from one or two names the way in which man has 
regarded the family of the Simiadae. 
1. Ape. Proto-Aryan root hap , 44 to vibrate,” Sk. kamp , 44 to 
move rapidly,” kcipi , Heb. koph (an instance of Semitic borrow- 
ing), Ang.-Sax. apa, middle Eng. apje. The creature constantly 
in motion, 44 mopping and mowing.” As to the loss of an initial 
k, cf. Proto-Aryan kam, 44 to love,” Lat. am-o. 
2. Monkey. According to Prof. Skeat from Ital. monna (a 
corruption of madonna) a woman’s familiar or nickname (i. e. 
eke-name, extra-name), dim. monicchio (little monna ), Eng. 
munkie. 44 The order of ideas is : mistress, dame, old woman, 
monkey, by that degradation of meaning so common in all 
languages.” In this case monkey means 44 little old woman,” 
funny little hag, instead of manikin , a Dutch word with double 
dim. suffix (cf. Donkey , i.e ., don-ek-ey , double dims., 44 little 
dun,” i.e., little horse, dun being a familiar name for a horse; cf. 
old Eng. proverbs, 44 Dun in the mire,” 44 The devil on Dun’s 
back,” etc., as a colour, dull-brown or dark). With monkey as 
meaning little man or woman, cf. the Assyrian udumu , 
44 monkey,” which is connected with admit , adeem , 44 man,” i.e., a 
kind of little man. 
3. Pithekos ( 44 ape.”) Probably mimic, from peitho. 
4. Simia. Probably 44 flat ” or 44 snub-nosed ” ( simus , simos), 
as Herodotos describes a tribe of Skythians :i but some would 
connect it with similis , i.e. 44 mimic.” Simos is occasionally 
represented on Greek vases as a Seilenos,^ i.e., one of the 
Dionysiak personages connected with the flow of water, and 
hence with the force and flow of life. || Thus we get the general 
idea of ape or monkey as a little, old, snub-nosed, restless, imi- 
tating, human variant. The orang-ootan is 44 the man of the 
jungle.” 
According to Dr. Bleek the 44 earliest quasi-human beings ” 
(1) uttered instinctively certain sounds which expressed certain 
feelings ; (2) heard their fellows also utter sounds ; (3) imitated 
them ; (4) were then reminded of their feelings when they first 
uttered the sounds ; and thus (5) saw distinctly and separately 
Vide sup. , Sec. 7. 
+ On the Origin of Language (Eng. trans. by Davidson). 
X Herod., iv. 23. § VideBr^. Mus. Vase Cat., No. 1,318. 
|| Vide E.B., The Great Dionysiak Myth, i. 155. 
