...introduction, p. 16. 3 See his " Delia Volg. Eloq.," L. i., chap. ii. of language." As Lyell says, " It was a profound saying of William Humboldt, that...never enable brute intelligence to acquire language." 1 Yet perhaps because the power of speaking is supposed to belong to the Sing-sing and parrot, these...

...introduction, p, 16. 1 See his " Delia Volg. Eloq.," L. i., chap. ii. of language." As Lyell says, " It was a profound saying of William Humboldt, that ' Man is Man only by moans of speech, but in order to invent speech he must be already Man.' Other animals may be able to...

...There could be no invention of language unless its type already existed in the human understanding. Man is man only by means of speech ; but in order to invent speech he must be already man." We speak of our " mother tongue," and never speak a language we have not learned. Who taught the first...

...the human understanding. " So far we can readily agree with him. But when the great philosopher adds: "Man is man only by means of speech, but in order to iu* One of these cases was that of Peter, the Wild Boy, who was found in the woods of Hanover in 172G,...

...rival names for the same things and ideas, * See Herbert Spencer's Psychology and Scientific Essays. rival modes of pronouncing the same words and provincial...must be already Man." Other animals may be able -to otter sounds more articulate and as varied as the click of the Bushman, but voice alone can never enable...

...human understanding." So far we can readily agree with him. But when the great philosopher adds : " Man is man only by means of speech, but in order to invent speech he must be already man," he must either mean by speech (as we often mean by language), any possible means of communicating ideas,...