The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1881-04-28
TEE NEW DlOTIONARIES-THE WONDER
Fill GROWTH OF LANGUAGE.

Full GROWTH OF LANGUAGE.
We received last evening from the pub
fishers a copy of the new "Webster's Un-
abridged Dictionary" wherein it is stated
that there have teen added some 1900 new
words beyond what is contained n the pre-
yious one. In the forthcoming edition OF
Worcester's, a very much larger number has
l,en Incorporated. This appears on its face
a very simple announcement, yet to the re-
lecting mind it is prolific of food for much
though, for despite the saying of Talleyrand
that Language was given TO man to conceal
thought" the fact is that the Improvement
of a language is an evidence of a healthtul
rise in the intellectual barometer OF a nations
progress. As language of itself differenti-
ates intelligence from instinct, 80 its I'M
provement differentiates the degrees OF that
intelligence. Begun in its rudest shaplngs
from the primitive cry and the groan, the
laugh and the grunt, it is progressing to-
ward the perfect, to the %clearsst expression
and highest revelation of the Utmost soul,
the externization of our most complete con-
seriousness. Its production is a continu-
Gus process in the cultural growth OF social
life, for like living organisms it is
in a state of continual fux.
The lower down we go in the order of civil
izstion, the more poyerty-stricken and weakly
homogeneous do we find the language OF a
people. Passing beyond this stratum, we
note in the inferior intelligence of the savage
a corresponding paucity of words uHhl
finally we witness the degeneracy to gesture
signs becoming requisite to give some
conference to the few word-signs in use; and
it is only by their facial contortions, bodily
ge~sticulstion that the Bushmen and
Arapshoes, for instance, are able to make
themselves understood by each other, being
unable, therefore, to converse IN
the dark. Among Others in the same
scsle, as the Damarss and the Bengoes,
the only means of expressing compsratives
and sup.rlatives is by the raising of the
voice, and pushihg out their mouths, Tor
example and saying ~"wood-go," for IL Will
90 into the wood" Lower down st l, come
classes whose grading is so low that nouns
and verbs are their only elements. AT the
bottom of the round,i it is a we'll authenticated
fact, that man 10 solitude is as speechless as
the brutes.
On the other hand, we have to remark here,
progress in language is co-ordlnsted win
progress in intelligence, and here again Its
own increasing completely and increasing
social completely are almost equivalent
expressions for the development of thought
and the development of words and sentences,
each in turn furthering and being furthered
by the other. We cannot admit for a moment
that audible, intelligent spsscn is a faculty
a. il sometimes urged, or that language Is
anything else than 81 arbitrary, q conven-
,ional fundamentally. Its not an imme-
diAie e~xerlion of the thinking powe', but q
mediate product just as are mschsr Al Iol'
or other implements Of labor or of at. The
tbinkipp apparatus 10 our make up, is n
thing. the srticulAsing apparatus, another,
and hence The voice, although given to US for
the purpose Of speech is only 50 given as were
the hands TO sdts with. Bat nevertheless
nhss become 50 perfected that il has actual-
" increased msn's intellectually and pats
him lo-day, in the scale Of the geological
chat he occupiesss the only existent being
usiug lsngusgs. -.
Language in its totslity, every hore off, Is
.umbOl of meutsl activity, the acme Of al
sgm,n ersrtiOBs. Hsving lie basis, its germs
!, ma emo,ionsl nature of the msn, il Is
b4somiug % improved under ths guidance Of
intellectual, that we but Formulate . truth
~, We say that The voice isths echo OF tbe
s.rL. It spIiBgs exclusively from the sOci.l
rs 70 CON nauicsts ones feelings sod
a,s,,t 10 his fellow men Aud IT this
i,s--cymmusicstion hat increases our stock
ofkuOwisaes, By not only cystslizing the
n,us,,um Of The mind bus By reducing
c,,ru.si expression. 70 order, sDa
.b5,viur ebsn unasr the distinct review ct
.-,u..ioos.s.. and within rs.ch Of rshsction
"a i.sp.csion IN every shs3s Of fssling- In