The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-04-24

begin life with ba ba and ma ma. Ny boy
does not at first call me pa pa, but ba
ba. Even after his sounds have become
cerebral lie continues for some time these
/. inherited utterances. Through a large
range OF mammals this elemental speech is
common. The lower races Of savages cry
mama, mama, when terrified or suffering.
They are babes grown up. On the other
hand the hog family, and the bear, have
only cultural range of sounds, combined
with a click. Primitive races are charac-
terized by this very cultural click. The
Hottentots get their name from it; and Miss
Bird says of the Amos that their language
Is peculiar for perpetual clicking, and for
soft and plaintive m.
1t is very clear that the study of langu-
age carries us far back of primitive man;
indeed, that with primitive man, in his
language OF sounds and signs, we are also
studying the great mammal world below.
This line of study is full of possible rich
results. We have, / do not doubt, still
psychical atfinities with the whole mann
NAL group, and these are expressed in Ian
guage. AT the same time we have common
hatred and horror for creatures of unathl-
lated types, expressed also in our language.
Judging by the simpler races, it is prob
able that the first forms of articulation
were more or less musical, consisting in the
mann VA lAllUiOiOiAo VI oOulleAo IOlAiihpiAAJ
heard. Ce tain it is that the primitive
languages do not lack in rhythm. The vocal
organs of the Negritlc stock are possessed
of more melody than articulation. The
languages of genuine savages must be dis
tinguished from those of primitive races,
such as the Aino and Dravidic, as being the
products of degeneration.
Exceedingly interesting is the process of
language development in babe. No study
ina &c holN ole
first cries are purely instructive, and there
fore purely animal. Its consonants are
m and b, labials and liquids-used with the
open novels. 1t does not use the genial
tubercle, nor for many weeks the frontal
brain. Its second list of sounds move
further back, and are e, goo, gutturas of
the simplest sort. This e sound, with its
natural associate, /, becomes the well-known
basis of all primitive languages-the click
ing Or clicking of Amos and HottOntotS.
Next, observe the babe as it watches your
mouth and laughs at your cooling and your
baby talk. 1t finally sets its own articu-
lating organs in motion and initiates you.
The consequence soon is the simple use of
the frontal brain and the genial tubercle.
The goo goo is followed by eh en- and che
che, and soon after by meditation. These
are not only the first use of truly human
organs, but the first cerebrated sounds, as
ulSbluCO lTOlll luSOluCUlNo duu llueTIJeU uU-
terances. The steps toward a highly COM
pick cerebrated language are thereafter
rapidly taken.
We have to bear in mind that the babe
organically follows historic evolution, and
is an epitome of past progress So also In
his speech he moves on and over the path
way of the past, and reviews it all. An in
telligent child expresses appreciation and
disapprobation by the same sounds that are
used by adult monkeys. The savage hardly
uses cerebrated sounds at all. The refine
ment of languages has ever consisted in
eliminating the animal inheritance. The
child's use of gestures is also inherited. He
does not need to learn to use his hands; only
to secure muscular strength to direct them.
His play is at first purely animal frolic, re-
joicing in shouts and shrieks that later he
does not find necessary to his enjoyment.
His laughing and crying can only be under
stood as language, as they surely are also
in adults. The evolution of laughter would
be delightful branch Of our topic, but a
theme too much by itself It is enough to
note in passing that not only do ANIMALS
laugh, but they smile. Laughter is even
not uncommon among fowls. l have owned
a cook that had a most distinct cachina
tion