Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1879-09-20
Language and EdeaS.

The lecture delivered by Mr.. Ii. A. Clancy
Ola Friday evening il Peabody Hall, On the
'Eeleti On Hetween Language anu Ideas, con.
tensod sketch Of which only GU. fpsce onabioj
us to present, opens Up 81 entirely nsw field in
The study CT language. IS heretofore under
stood and pursued % f. study, language consists
Of body Of words already for red, Of the origin
Of which We haVa little knowledge ard the ORR
Y,naI meanings tr which We have even less.
By the rules governing in civil, I'd languages it
is heresy to meaalo with these words, even in
pattirg then Tito O phonetic drass for greater
aass in learning ther pronunciation. Dic.lOn-
sries. swollen 20 urn egeabo siZo, must be the
constant companion Of evtry ono who wcuid
write and speak language correctly. hccoIl.
ing to the Li:toiicai canon, and examiners, Of
Thoeo rules too many Of lis carry through life q
terrible mcracry, only tond to mako the tssk Of
learning language still greater.
By the discovery embodied in This lecture,
however,--for We mus. characterize it SO dis.
covery. and n! a me.a continuance, -laEgua age
ls placed upon Gn entirely new ground one,
namely, where il may be- studied as to i!s ele.
mental structure. Ireteai CT b:ing dry eel.
lection Of iossilized words, the moaning OF which
must be laboricusiy and often tediously learned
% separate oct Of memory for each ono. lan.
gusga becomes instinct with meaning and life in
the fact that eich simple element represents on
ideal clomeDt ard POSSESSES 8power OF expression
Of lis own; &rd the words, therefore, formed
from these elements become exactly and ade-
quately expressive Of tho IDEAS intended to be
conveyed.
We sre aware lha! attempts have boon made
to construct philosophical! language, but they
were moro in tho nstu-e Of contricance than
otherwise, and hence wire lacking in tho vital
element Of exact relationship between sound and
sense. Philolci it; q: skoptical AS 20 tho poa.
sibiity Of such IN achievement, and Prof Whit.
ney, the meat crnlI ont nhiiol2gue hiss distinctly
placed himself en- record in antsgoni,m TO tho
idee. Nevertheless, With the evidence afforded
in this lecture Of the identity Of idea embodied
in many Of cur rresen. words having entirely
different hngusi structure snd tho pointir out
tie mesns o. representing his identity Of idea in
Identical word structure, no ono can doubt that
lew method and ntw tusje matter are dis
covered. which must place language slongade
VI mathematics and music as subject of scieu.
tifc study. Under the guidance of such rrin.
c;ple, instead Of being compelled to resort 10
leIicons snd dictionaries to ascertain what words
spproach nesrest the expression cf his ides, the
student will DO sblo fer learning the meaning
contained in the simple sounds and the mode of
heir combination. TO cohstrue. woIds al libutum
without any lexicol sid whatever, which words
shall be exactly expressive o: his meaning.
The vslue of such deaideraum we neel not
enlarge upon.
TIE CAPTURE OF CETrwAYo.-Ths details of
the capture of King Cetywsyo show that while
the King was being watched on the one side BY
Lord Clifford and some scouts, Major Msrter,
With detachment OF the first dragoons ap.
preached him from tho ether. Lord Clifford
whose presence was unknown to the King, in
tended 10 defer the attack until niehtlsll, so as
10 prevent the King from escaping into the
dense bush. Getty Rayo had caught glimpse of
The dragons, but he thought that, in consequence
Of the bad condition of the ground, they could
not approach quietly. Major Marter, however
directed the removal of all noisy accoutremcnts,
and sent native contingent on shead. These
surrounded the krssl where the King had taken
refuge, ard Msor ksr!er rode up and called to
Cetyway 10 come out of the hut The King,
after some psrley, complied He preserved 3
~ lnr 4 ol,, 81 49,