The record., 1911-04-13

Judge Price is a thorough linguist
and understands readily about twen-
ty different languages. lie said in
part
UGentlemen: 1t was not my pur-
pose to make talk before the Club
this evening; however, being request
ed by a number of those present, /
shall offer a few thoughts on the sub
ject, vThe Origin and Meaning of
Language" This subject is one that
is somewhat complicated and OBJ
scure in ITS original sense. Let us
first define language and then trace
its development. We believe that
we may be safe in saying that the
human brain is the origin, or rather
the center and source of human
language. Aud language is to the
brain a vehicle for thought and
means TO communicate ideas and
impressions of existing conditions
of things. Language consists in i'm
pressions and expressions. Perhaps
it shall be well enough to add that
there are different degrees and kinds
of language, communicative and
capable of making impressions and
eXerting an influence. Language is
bodies of words and methods of
combining words used and under
stood any means of expression or
communicating feeling or thought.
In the usual sense language means
a system of conventionalized signs,
that is, words or gestures having a
fixed meaning, expressions that con
vey ideas, expressions that symbo-
lie ideas. Bodily expressions,
whether gestures or articulation and
inscriptions, as printing, writing arc
its chief forms; but any systematic
symbolism is in a more or less trans
ferred sense called language. The
faculty of verbal expression and the
use of words in human intercourse
are words themselves in their gram
matical relationship aTticulate
sounds by which animals inferior
TO man express their feelings or
,heiE wants. While we have the ar
ucuiate or VoCTT TduguJEv- rrrv7
have the inarticulate or what might
be termed the dumb language, con-
sisting in appearance and movement.
Poets frequently allude TO this lam
gusge, the language of art, of nature,
of flowers, of the forest and of the
stars, the whisperiDgs of the wind,
the muttering of the waters, the
halo of the bright day dawn make
impressions as by vocal language
and attract human thought and con-
sideralion. The articulate and in
articulate language are necessarily
connected in making more perfect
communication and presentment to
the mind of the condition of things
existing.
Now as to the origin and COM
mencement of the articulate and
vocal language, it can not be def
initely determined. We believe that
the primitive language of the human
family consisted in a language of
signs and motions which aatedates
the use of the articula.e and vocal.
Our philologists anthropOgenists and
historians fail to fix a period for the
commencement of vocal language
and utterances; historians differ in
regard to the appearance of man
upon the world. Our biblical history
supposed to have been written by
Moses reaches as far back as six
thousand years, commencing with
Adam the first man of the Jewish
history. While Berosus, the Chal-
dean historian, antedates the Jewish
history, as does Menetho, the Egyr-
tian historian, also that of the Chin
ese and other chronologists. But
without entering upon a discussion
of ancient history and cosmogony,
we shall add that it is believed by
our scientists Of the present age that
there was a prehistoric period of the
existence of man, and that there are
three periods in which man has lived,
the stone, the bronze and the iron
ages; and during part of the stone
age language and communication
were effected by signs, motions and
sounds, which became really the
root of all language. Following signs
came sound, following sound came
symbols, hieroglypts and cuneiform
characters; following these came d.
s!ecis sd sys:e-ized language.
We 90 not think that vocal and ar