New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-11-15


tain different opinion. Whatever may have
been the origin OF man, human speech, as ne
thinks has gone through the same process OF evo-
nItion in every case. The process shows the Ike
ness of man with man. but not the brotherhood
of various races IL is in possible 10 follow nm INTO
all the details Of his work. but 1t IS worth while
to consider the bearing which the dry STUDY cI
verbal roots has on the history OF mankind
People are no longer as sure as they usei u NC
that humanity is completely Isolated from the
animal life which surrounds 1t. Formerly 'he
differences between man and brute were enphA-
sized; now the similaritieS between theh dlNic'
attention and the possibility that the h-SheT AMI
,rals may share in some measure the reason and
self-consciousness Of man awaits not belief Dur
definite proof in the minds of many Investigators
There are those who think that the cries OF ami
mails can be translated into words ana that thcy
are not used without purpose by the creatures
which utter them. The author, while ne accepts
the statement that articulate speech ana the use
O.; fire are the most characteristic attnDu'es %
man. declares that its meaning must De S'ilcNy
limited Man for MIN is not fallen god nor
did he once nhabit an earthly paradise. HIS Dig
nifty has been acquired by slow degrees. Ian
guage was not divine gift but a product OF
mans own efforts. Professor Lefevre goes So
sound atheistic. but he only means to emphasize
the fact tnat an appeal t. the deity Is confess
sion Of scientific ignorance. The ancients, he
SAYS commonly attributed the invention ana
the gift of language to some special or national
cd Thoth or Jahveh," just as they supposed
that Vulcan taught men how 10 work in metals
Triptilemus how t. cultivate their felds, or
Prometheus how to make fire. On the other
hand the assertion that nature gave speech 10
man is condemned rs meaningless. il By IT is inn
piled any power outside of himself. the
natural inference is that there was a time when
man could not talk. and knew only the noises
that bespoke his physical wants. But there Is
one difficulty with this inference, namely, that
not even the lowest tribes al the present day
are speechless. The author does the best he can
for his theory when he cites the case OF certain
African saVages who tail TO understand each
other at night. and whose imperfect speech re-
qures the aid of gesture"
With this exception the stages Of a process OF
evolution through which all languages are sup
posed to have gone can all be observed among
races and tribes still in existence. The Chinese
furnishes illustration OF what other languages
may have been when words were only syIldO.es
and dependent FOR their meaning on the tone Oi
the voice on position with reference 10 other
eyllables. Certain nations when have long been
under Chinese influence share in.s peculiarly.
But other races. whether Oi nigh or low culture,
have added 10 the single syllable others 10 de-
termine its sense. 1t = strange that people
which possesses d language 50 low IN the scale
should nave attained 50 high culture. IL tne
Chinese civilization is an Independent growth il
is the most remarkable in the world. Yet the
race that could improve Itself could not improve
{ ssnt.-.. "a
evolution does not explain. Professor Lefevre
falls back on the customary observation about
Chinese conservatism. but this observation is
only approximately true. The history Of China
IS marked by slow notifications, but 1t is far
from changeless That other races which re-
main as savage as their ancestors were thou
sands of years ago should still rank above the
Chinese is one OF the puzzles Of science. The
Semitic races are below the Aryan IN general
culture But in forming the roots OF words the
former reached stage which the latter did not
Among languages that decline nouns and con-
jugatc verbs, Greek was long famous for the
number and intricacy of the modihcatiohs 10
. which its words could be subjected But the
study of savage dialects disclosed many that had
never attained d written FORM but were never
theless far more elaborate and systematic tnan
Greek. On the other hand, the most nearly uni
yersal of modern languages. English, has de-
veoped to the point where it is almost as devoid
of grammar as Chinese is But, though it seems
TO be getting around to the starting point in one
particular. in all others it IS as remote from the
primitive past as possible.
When It first dawned upon learned men that
there was a science of language of wider scope
than the grammar Of each form Of speech, it was
thought that all the dialects in the world might
hat
paratively few languages are related to each
other The branching process by which simple
primitive form of speech becomes the parent Of
many separate tongues is the exception rather
than the rule. 1t is said by some scientific men
hut denied by others-that certain tribes
change their language from one generation to
another sometimes every decade. In other cases,
for example among Semitic races, dialects re-
main practically unchanged for ages. To recover
tine primeval speech Of mankind. then. Is be-
yond hope. Professor Lefevre insists that there
was no such language. From the first there were
diverse races of men, and consequently dinerent
languages in process of Development. He would
apparently relegate the search for the hrSt
spoken language of man to a place alongside Of
the quest for the Garden of Eden. On the con-
trary ne does not seem to be without hope that
IN the far future men may become of one speech
He mentions the vast diffusion Of English, but,
for his own part cannot decide against French
(Which OF these two languages" he asks, both
disengaged from the trammes Of grammar, both
arrived at the terms of the linguistic cycle, shall
obtain the prize? 1t is not for US to say. Eng
lish Justly proud of its wealth and of It's i'm
rnense expansion; French with its ancient origin
its early literary development its lucdiy its
pronunciation clear. without undue emphasis
have both had career which need fear no COM
parsons: both have been employed in every
style, for the expression Of the deepest thought
and of the subtlest ideas" Both in his opinion
illustrate the final stage in the evolution Of Ian
guage and both are in vigorous life He also
points out that English. though not an easy