The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1875-01-02

would take their places in the stock of
language. AS time passed on the differ
ences became greater. Each migration
increased the variety, until in time, the
first primitive tongue was forgotten, and a
dozen, maybe hundred others, took its
place, but each unlike the others and unlike
the original. The development of civiliza-
ton in all was not equal; in some the
migratory element prevailed, while in 9TH
ers more settled life was the rule.
AS civilization was developed, language
advanced, until at last, writing came to
supplement the spoken tongue. China and
Egypt show the earliest attempts at ex-
pressing ideas by symbols. When we say
that nations and institutions change, we
must always except China. In the world
| it is the one example of immutability.
Four thousand years ago its language and
social customs were much the same as to-
day. The dwellers in the valley of the
Yang -tse- kiang and the Indians of the
| West have but little in common, yet some
/ Chinaman, thousands of years ago, antici-
| pated the labors Of Sc quo-yah. At pres
| ent China and the Cherokee nation stand
alone in the world in the character of their
alphabets, that of China being an alphabet
of words, that of the Cherokees one OF
syllables, while all others consist of letters.
To England such an alphabet would be
useless, to China it has met all needs OF
language for at least four thousand years.
Next, perhaps, in the course of linguis-
tic development came the hieroglyphic sys-
tenn of Egypt, where the picture of the
thing was put for the thing itself, or of the
abstract idea to which it bore some fancied
resemblance. Thus circle was the sign
of eternity, and an eye the representative
of knowledge, and such symbols still face
the student of antiquity upon the piles OF
Karnac, or of Luxorjiest, as fresh as when
| they were cut three thousand years ago.
Much as the geologist finds the history of
the planet registered upon its rock strata,
so does the antiquary find the whole course
of ancient Egyptian history cut in symbols
upon its tombs and monuments.
Mexico, too, when invaded by Cortez,
had gone no further than picture writing,
and when, at some time in the future, some
American Champollion reads the inscrip-
tons upon the ruins of Palenque and Che
chew-Itza, some of the most mysterious
chapters in our planets history will be
restored.
Who first analysed the sounds OF Ian
guage and gave the world an alphabet of
letters, can never be known. 1t is true
that tradition points to Cadmus as the
man, but the probabilities are that Cadmus
is but name for the east, from which
most likely from Phenicia-letters were
introduced into Greece, and thence have
spread all over Europe.
Greece gave place to Rome as the seat
of empire, and at the same time modified
its language. Rome fell, but its tongue
was still the language of literature; but as
one tide of barbarian invasion after another
rolled its surges over Italy, the spoken
language became finally SO corrupted with
those of the invaders that at last Latin
survived only as the language of literature.
Little by little new languages grew up,
until when literature began to revive, in
stead Of the old Latin, Spanish, French
and Italian had sprung from it, while Ger
man and English had been greatly modified
by contact with it.
We alike trace the origin of our laws
and language to the old Gothic-Teuton
tribes Rough-uncultivated they were
but in the forests and upon the plains of
Northern Europe sprang to life the first
germs of modern political freedom. Over
run successfully by Romans, Saxons, Danes
and Normans, each added their stock to
the formation of the English language, but
from the conquest to the present the
and development than any addition of new
elements, and to-day we speak substantially
the same language as was spoken by Ed
ward or Richard 1t is true that it's orthog-
raphy has been extensively modified and
many of it's grammatical constructions
changed; old words have changed their
meanings, and in many instances dropped
out of use altogether, while new ones are
constantly being naturalized, but practi,
cally it is much the same.
! In the matter of photography much is
| yet to be done before our language is what
it should be. This restless, unitarian age
of ours can find no time to make of the
language of its daily wants, and needs a
vast historical curiosity shop. The Eng
lishman has more respect for old things
than the American, but the average man
of both can see no reason why phi should
take the place of f merely because there is
quite a large class of words derived from
Greek, or still less ineligible why the same
syllable should have seven or eight different
sounds, as the well-known ougA. The
phoneticians and the etymologists are irrec-
oncilable foes. One wishes to preserve the
old forms as a matter of history, the others
to change them as question of utility.
AS question of utility versus sentiment,
it takes no prophet to predict the end.
The school child sometime in the future
will be relieved from the task of worrying
half "a lifetime over ton, cion, sion, clan,
ETC., and getting them hopelessly mixed in
practice after all. No one trusting in the
future rather than the past, can fail to wish
for this consummation. The etymologists
had best make hay while the sun shines,
for the day is not far away when the idea
of spelling one class of words according to
the rules of Greek, another of Latin, and
another of French, will become obsolete,
and the only test of spelling will be the
sound.
Made up, as modern English is, of words
naturalized from all languages, it is not
difficult to tell where they are from by the
words themselves, aside from their spelling.
The simpler, more common place words,
represent the old Gothic and Teuton ele-
ments, the more unusual, the Latin and
other derivatives. The young lady who
wished loan of diminutive, truncated
cone" was using very good Latin English,
but she would have shown more common