88 THE SUBANU. 
The examination of the variety by reference to the speech-organs 
employed points in the same direction. ‘The least variously utilized 
organ is the lips: only two closures have been taken into speech use, the 
minimum and the maximum; here we find almost no variety in the com- 
parison of Subanu and Visayan. ‘The palate, the speech-organ which 
first came under control, is the least flexible of the speech-organs and 
is commonly established in the primitive languages in but two closures, 
the minimum and the maximum. Here again, although the variety is 
somewhat greater than in the labials, it amounts to little in the sum. 
But when we give our attention to the lingual series we are filled 
with amazement at the amount and extent of the mutation-variety. 
Its mutes are fixed; that is to say, the speakers of these languages are 
able to attain the maximum of the speech effort to which the tongue 
lends itself; beyond that maximum it is in essence impossible to go; 
therefore the mutes must be a fixed quality. Earlier in this chapter I 
have pointed out the character of force in speech: how that initials and 
finals are more forcible, and that weaker forms supervene when either 
is brought within the interior of the word. ‘Those of us who have had 
much intercourse with the inferior races of mankind have recognized in 
the declamation of their speech this quality of word force. We employ 
it ourselves in speaking to children and foreigners and other unfortu- 
nates not fully in possession of their wits; we aim to speak distinctly in 
order to make comprehension sure. The primitive races are all children 
together, and we need go no further than the next school-yard at recess 
time to appreciate the dynamic force with which children converse 
among themselves. 
Omitting, then, the lingual mutes as under the dominance of 
another set of influences, we find that in Subanu and Visayan the tongue 
is a most uncertain member. It is within the power of these speakers to 
put the tongue in all but one of its standard closures, yet the positioning 
is so insecure that we have seen in the tabulation (pages 85 and 86) 
that any closure may and does slip in to any other closure of the same 
organ. More than that, we find that the duty of the tongue is not 
infrequently delivered over to the palate to perform, a return from the 
imperfectly mastered organ to one whose control is more sure and whose 
use is directed by longer familiarity of habit. 
Thus far we have considered Subanu and Visayan together, asin ~ 
some as yet undetermined relation of filiation. ‘The phonetic variety 
will not lead us directly to the determination of the nature of this filia- 
tion, for the mutation is by no means in a single direction. Weare not 
able to assume, for example, that the Visayan is the source speech and 
that Subanu diverges therefrom by dialectic variety exhibited in a 
certain array of mutation instances; for in fact we find that for every 
mutation in one direction between Visayan and Subanu there is its 
converse in the other direction between Subanu and Visayan. 
