274 
REPORT-1847' 
in words as in forms. Lepsius has proved this in his Treatise on the ^ 
and Dr Mever has clearly indicated the elements of the investigation of rwA 
For myskffl have eodealoured during the last thirty years to csta 
carry out certain canons or general rules for conducting this and all 
lin^istic investigations, nnd am poi-ftuaded (haU by a L 
inefuiry and general reasoning, I have arrived at tominlafi, which are 
extremely simple, and which every progress 
They seem lo me to flow from a general principle of successive and n 
evolution, and to bo illustrated by incontrovertible lads. I must reim 
my Egyptian work the complete development of this system. In 
treatise I shall confine mysGlf to giving a sketch of the le^mg ■ 
phenomena and principles, as far as it seems required for t e ^ 
problem before us. If under the necessity ol advancing more ge 
tions or assumptions, I slwll endeavour lo reduce them to their simp 
and to elucidate them by facts known or accessible to every gene 
Permit me therefore first to call your attention 
in the development of language. 1 shall then, in the second place, e , 
establish philosoplucally the principle of development in iMguagep . 
and the necessary stages of this development In the third p 
tempt to apply these phenomena and principles first to the ques i 
diately connected with the Chamitic, Semitic Japhetic resoa ^ 
finally, in the general problem of classifying the great familia o 
and of determining how far wo are at present enabled to 1”^*?^ ‘ 
families in a line of successive development, and how far that sene 
members of a common stock by physical descent. \Ve hope thus 
somo steps towards the solution of the problem before ..j 
of the language of Egypt in the history of the world, and the atnni, 
lative position of the principal families of mankind. 
T7ie jj/iawmena of Langtf^ge a$ to the vestiges of its formatioJ^i 
and deeng. 
The origin of language is enveloped in deep mystery. It 
patient investigation of facts, and by generalizing those facts 
safely cun, that we may ho[)e to establish a fair teat for a specula 
the general principles of its fornuitioii. . r,f|lir 
For the investigation of facts coiicernuig the gradual formation 
guage, the extent of alterations it can undergo without 
its existence, its individuality as it were, and the changes to -(j j,** 
subjected in consequence of a violent crisis, the most natural me 
to be to examine the origin and gradual formation of those 
the necessary facts are geoerally Known, or at least most easily 
These are the Romanic nr Larinin. and rliR mndern Gemiati and b , 
ru«, iney are uiu loiigues or ine oouui ui hu»u'-*“ - ■ s > 
1 out of the Latin in consequence of the 
other of the advaiieing German tribes in romaoized countriw, re . 
to the numerical majority of the inhabitants, by a Celtic P®P^j o.'/’ 
former ages had in some of them succeeded to an Iberian. This 
of tlie Ualian, the Provem^al, the French, the Spanis'h and ^ 
languages ; the two latter have received since, through the ascee 
Moors, an admixture of Arabic. " 
e have here clearly two great elements. The German 
nave Here clearly two great elements, ine ^ 
destroyed the Homan empire, were the instigating causes of ta® 
dec^I 
