Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1831-07-07
NEWPORT, Il. 1. THURSDAY MORNING, Z,
LANCI AGE.

LANGUAGE rs AN instrument or a means
composed Of significant parts. This i'll
strumcnt of course, is mechanical, and
therefore, made out of materials. The
materials of which language is gen
orally made, are sounds. These
sounds like poles, would be continuous,
Was 1t not that we play upon them with
our Instruments, called the organs OF ar
tlculation, IN such manner a. divides
them into many short pieces Among
these instrum cnts used in the curious
process OF manufacturing language out
Of sounds, may be found the tongue, the
teeth, the lips, the nose, &c. The tongue
Is very important instrument III this
chest OF speaking tools. But whether to
call it an ar, sar, or pIanc, or some
thing else, | confess hardly can deter
nine. Perhaps it is sometimes one and
sometimes another. Let this point be as
1t may, the Importance Of the tongue m
the wonderful operation of dividing these
Sonoro"s poleS into short pieces, Is clear
y admitted in the fact that the nstru-
mcnt which is made out OF these sounds,
Las the tongues o,rn name. Lmgua Is
tle Latin name OF the tongue, and is the
Latin word from which the English word,
language, has been derived.
I Printing and writing are properly the
notes OF language, and bear the same
vicarous relation to this instrument,
which the notes in music bear to the real
m,sic. But as printing and writing COM
nuilcate our ideas, they III function,
identify themselves with the great Lin
qua mStrument-and therefore these rep
rcsentativcs have come to be called by
then ofthe thing represented-hence
we have the phrases, written language,
and printed language" as well as "spok-
en- language" But language in the
true, confined sense Of the word, is that
instrument which is formed out of voice
by marvellous play of wonderful organs
upon sounds which are first produced by
the actions Of tho wind pipe upon the
air which proceeds from the lungs.
4 1t has long been a contested point
! whether language is u divine revelation,
or a human production. But when we
trace it from cause to effect, we see more
than HUMAN calculation. Man consist,
of two parts, Il body and mind; THIS is
journeying through life in that. Thus
the mind becomes passenger; the body
his chariot; ideas his baggage; the earth
his inn; hope his food; and another
world his destination. And such is the
relation between the passengers while on
the way; that they are compelled to in.
terchangc their ideas. And for this pur-
pose, either GoD has furnished them
with language, ready means for this
exchange, or the PASSENGERS THEM
SELVES have made this instrument
When we reflect upon the passenger 5
cOnnertoh with his chariot; when we see
him drawing to himself, through organic
avenues, the various obj which con-
stantly surround it, we discover what we
cannot comprehension, when we be-
hold him ANALYSING these objects, form
ing CORRECT notions OF their component
parts, and with vocal organs attached to
his vehicle, converting the AIR into sounds
for the communication Of those notions,
we dwindle away before the magnitude
Of the problcm
Whether language is Of divine or hu-
man origin, it, like human being COM
prlses what may be called body and a
soul. The body may be formed out Of
sounds, but the soul which is breathcd
into the lmg"a carcas by the breath of
the public roice, is signii iifcaiion. And
grammar Is those anatomical principles
upon which the body of language is con-
struc.cd.