The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-02-12
DIALECT.ICS.

considerable degree of attention in the schools o
| Germany. There only, we believe, is the study O
language pursued, not as q means to an end, bu
tance, ranks with philosophy, with the higher
physical sciences, and the more advanced of tht
professional studies. The pursuit lis q laboriouf
one, exacting unwearied application and continued
and Industrious research. For it's exhaustive
treatment, we're such possible, every branch o.
human knowledge is laid under contribution; and
it in turn pays back with interest," to every art and
science, what has thus been borrowed. By the
aids Of comparative philology, history and chro.
nology are slowly emerging from the regions OF
doubt to the gratifying certainty of the exact sci
ences. Ethnology may be said to owe its very e1-
istence 10 this kindred study. Archaeology, pain-
fully cropping in the dark heretofore, now steps
forth with some degree of confidence having a
sure canon,-a compass by which it can find it's
reckoning anywhere and at any time.
MAX MULLER 10 German by birth, the distin-
guished professor Of sanskrit at the University of
Oxford in the introduction to one Of his recent
works, beautifully remarks: There is O science OF
language as there is q science Of the earth; its
flowers and its stars; and though, as young
science, it a very far yet from that perfection
which-thanks to the efforts Of the intellectual
giants of 80 many ages and mPny countries has
been reached in astronomy, botany, and even in
geology it is perhaps for this very reason, al the
moro fascinating. It is o young and growing
science, that puts forth new strength every year,
that opens new prospects, new fields Of enterprise
on every side. and rewards it's students with richer
harvest than could be expected from the exhaust
ed soil Of the old sciences. The whole world is
open, as it were, to the stndent Of language.
There is virgin soil close to our door, aud there
ore whole continents still to conquer ifw step be-
yond the frontiers Of ancient civilization. We may
select small village in our neighborhood 10 pick
np dialectc varieties, and to collect phrases, pro-
verbs and stories, which will disclose fragments,
almost ground to DUST, it is true, yet undeniatle
fragments Of the earliest formations Of Saxon
speech and Saxon thought. .1;s.5==
It was by such industry, though for other pur-
poses, Sir WALTER Soorr gathered his wealth OF
tsauld world stales," which stood him in such good
stead in his writings, both Of prose and verse.
MusEus and the Brothers GRIMM thus went to
work to rescue from oblivion the thousands Of
popular tales and traditions, the supershtions,
local. religious and NATIONAL Of the primitive deni-
zens of the forests and mountains of Germany.
Hundreds of othors, less known to fame, perhaps,
have since emulated their example, and have
reaped rich rewards both in the fascinstiol OF the
pursuititself and in the proper appreciation and
favor awarded to the result Of their labors.
In America the field is more contracted True,
Indian archaeology has it's fascination, and has at
tracted the attention of many scholars. who have
devoted their lives to the elucidation Of the many
nroblems connected with that mysterious race OF
men. The early history Of the European settlers
Of this country has received, perhaps, more than
it's duo share Of attention from the scholars and
historians of the country. The field is exhausted,
and farther gleaning can only be rewarded with
chat, the grain having long since been gathered.
Comparatively little labor, however, has been be-
slowed on the collection, examination, digesting
and classification Of local peculiari6es of speech
or dialects. Specimens abound in the works OF
fiction, but more especially in our humorous ltera-
ture. There have also been partial essays at col
lection, in the form Of so-called Dictionaries of
Americanisms. But we remember no systematic
effort by competent hand, at o scientific claBsif-
cation. This is, perhaps, because the subject is
TOO new, is too near to us, and so intimately asso
ciatedswith vulgarty in the minds Of all educated
men, that We presume it has always hitherto been
considered beneath the dignity Of science.
The same holds good, even to greater degree
of the African dialect,-the English as spoken by
the negroes of the Southern States. Indeed this
furnishes the only real illustration to our people Of
what is meant by dialect. In Germany, France,
and even in England, these Ingual differences are
great and striking, and marked as with the sharp
outline Of latitude and longitude; and usually
almost every dialect has its literature This is not
the case on this continent. There is, indeed even
to The most obtuse ear, q marked difference be-
tween the English, as nasally pronounced by q
down cast yankee,-as jerked out by the New
Yerker or Jersey manor as spoken by the half
civilized hoosier. Virginia again has her pro-
nunciation, differing widely not only from the fore
going, but in many respects also from the more
recognized standards of Oxford and Cambridge
North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, each
again has it's own accent, modes of expression,
and pecuiarities Of pronunciation. Arkansas and
Texas likewise lay claim to individuality and in
yestigation re doubt not, will in every case ascer-
tain ample cause for these several differences
whether from Descent contiguity to other tribes
and other tongues, climate and other physical
agencies, or commercial aud political relations.
We see here wide field opened, where there is
room for hundreds of laborers. It is only by the
help of such special cleaners and regional anti
quarians and philologists that the nedgaua opus
here proposed can ever be accomplished.
,aoro 5io would cooro fo- bo oo,,or-
elaboration. The area is more restricted, and q
comparative survey proportionatey easier and
lore feasible. The Importance of the subject can
scarcely be overestimated. This dialect is one of
the essential elements Of the history of this inter-
csting people, and nov that education and civil
and political rights menace q leyolling process
these pathological gems, black diamonds NE may
call them, should be rescued, for ut the present
rate Cufyend Dnah will soon sttalk as good
grammar" as their late master and mistress, and
gullah" will be among the things that were. We
who have grown up with these ncgrooH, and have
been accustomed to their linguistic alterations,
are, perhaps, not altogether competent for this
pathological task, and we would, therefore, re-
spectfuy suggest that tho orudite ladies and gem
tlemen from New England, to whose care and su-
pervision the culture Of the freedmen is at present
committed all over the South, should take this
matter in hand. They unquestionably possess
great many superior qualifications for the work
Knowing nothing either Of negro character, ha-
bits or dialect, they approach the subject unbias-
sed, and hold themselves open to such Impressions
as are received through the medium Of the several
senses. These are at once put on paper, and by
this means the negro is allowed to paint his own
picturo,-write his own history,-a privilege
which the lion has fos SO many years coveted, and
which has not yet boon accorded to him. The
Freedmens Bureau can thus be made useful to
science and literature. Wo take no little credit to
ourselves for the discovery; we must confess we
first arrived at it by reasoning priori and after