Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Language.
Avere brought into the Avorld with as full and complete poAver of speech as mon have to-day . If this Avere true , then it would necessarily follow that the language of today Avould be the . same as at the time of creation . That it Avould be as impossible for man to improve it as it is for him to
improve or develop any other of God ' s great Avorks . It may be argued that man does improve other parts of creation . We submit the query : Does he improve the creation or merely develop its elements , ascertain their power , and then apply them to his own purposes and the advancement of his own interests 1
Has there been any improvement in the growth of the rocks' ! ¦ Are there any enlargements of the forests' ? Have the waters of . the great deep received any addition from the hand of man . Are there any additions to the Universe in the multiplication of worlds , stars or planets 1
It is a manifest truth that there have been developments of Science : new bodies of water , countries and planets have been brought to light by its discoveries ; but these have only been the result of the insatiable desire of man ' s mind to ascertain the uses of Creation , and to subject the elements to the advancement of Ms own
interest . Whatever may be termed improvements in the created world are merely analyses of God's work , or investigations of all the elements of the creation , to the end that they may become subservient to man ' s will .
These facts hold good in relation to language . If , it was a creation , then we could only unravel the mysteries of the art of speaking , and develop them for our own use . But the contrary to this is true , for there have been evident and constant
improvements m it since its organization to the present time . It has not oidy been developed , but there have been additions in every age , so that many have supposed it was entirely the work of man . This idea has had a decided stimulus from the fact that the additions have not been universal , but national .
From this fact other philologists have argued that man had occasion to name an object , and gave a name according to a property existing in the object . But they lose sight ° f the fact that there must have
been a prior existence of the elements of language hi order to develop the thought , arrange and classify the character of the properties of the object , before it could be expressed hi a name . Thus it may be plainly seen that all the elements of language existed hi the mind
before a word was spoken . The nearest approach we can make to the true orig in of language is in tho blending of these different ideas , and classifying the development with such a theory as to make its growth and progress
perceptible to all . First . In the creation God created man with all the vocal organs for the enunciation of Avoids .
Second . He created the mental power so that his perceptive faculties could appreciate the qualities and character of objects . Third . He gave power to arrange these thoughts , so that the simplest might
have . a vocal sound in the pronunciation of a syllable . Fourth . After the organization of the first sounds of names of objects , there came words to tell the character , good or bad ; the colour , white or black . Then the
connecting words . And so , as the necessity existed , a word was added , until we had a language of considerable scope . But still the language of the ancients was very meagre , being confined in the main , simply to monosyllables , just sufficient to communicate concerning the simple necessities of life . But , as man multiplied
and nations began to form over the world , these necessities became greater , and there was a consequent framing of new words and development of the elements of language . Still , for many centuries it was not reduced to any principle of Science .
It may not come directly under the character of this article to determine as to the national origin of language , but AVC may refer to the fact that it has been claimed for both the Hebrew and Chaldean tongues . It matters but little ,
however , for it is presumed by distinguished ancient writers , that prior to tho Hood these were one language . Other nationalities incline to claim the original language , as perpetrated in them . The Chinese claim to have the oldest existing language , and they have what seems to he the identical one spoken by them after the flood . Their
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Language.
Avere brought into the Avorld with as full and complete poAver of speech as mon have to-day . If this Avere true , then it would necessarily follow that the language of today Avould be the . same as at the time of creation . That it Avould be as impossible for man to improve it as it is for him to
improve or develop any other of God ' s great Avorks . It may be argued that man does improve other parts of creation . We submit the query : Does he improve the creation or merely develop its elements , ascertain their power , and then apply them to his own purposes and the advancement of his own interests 1
Has there been any improvement in the growth of the rocks' ! ¦ Are there any enlargements of the forests' ? Have the waters of . the great deep received any addition from the hand of man . Are there any additions to the Universe in the multiplication of worlds , stars or planets 1
It is a manifest truth that there have been developments of Science : new bodies of water , countries and planets have been brought to light by its discoveries ; but these have only been the result of the insatiable desire of man ' s mind to ascertain the uses of Creation , and to subject the elements to the advancement of Ms own
interest . Whatever may be termed improvements in the created world are merely analyses of God's work , or investigations of all the elements of the creation , to the end that they may become subservient to man ' s will .
These facts hold good in relation to language . If , it was a creation , then we could only unravel the mysteries of the art of speaking , and develop them for our own use . But the contrary to this is true , for there have been evident and constant
improvements m it since its organization to the present time . It has not oidy been developed , but there have been additions in every age , so that many have supposed it was entirely the work of man . This idea has had a decided stimulus from the fact that the additions have not been universal , but national .
From this fact other philologists have argued that man had occasion to name an object , and gave a name according to a property existing in the object . But they lose sight ° f the fact that there must have
been a prior existence of the elements of language hi order to develop the thought , arrange and classify the character of the properties of the object , before it could be expressed hi a name . Thus it may be plainly seen that all the elements of language existed hi the mind
before a word was spoken . The nearest approach we can make to the true orig in of language is in tho blending of these different ideas , and classifying the development with such a theory as to make its growth and progress
perceptible to all . First . In the creation God created man with all the vocal organs for the enunciation of Avoids .
Second . He created the mental power so that his perceptive faculties could appreciate the qualities and character of objects . Third . He gave power to arrange these thoughts , so that the simplest might
have . a vocal sound in the pronunciation of a syllable . Fourth . After the organization of the first sounds of names of objects , there came words to tell the character , good or bad ; the colour , white or black . Then the
connecting words . And so , as the necessity existed , a word was added , until we had a language of considerable scope . But still the language of the ancients was very meagre , being confined in the main , simply to monosyllables , just sufficient to communicate concerning the simple necessities of life . But , as man multiplied
and nations began to form over the world , these necessities became greater , and there was a consequent framing of new words and development of the elements of language . Still , for many centuries it was not reduced to any principle of Science .
It may not come directly under the character of this article to determine as to the national origin of language , but AVC may refer to the fact that it has been claimed for both the Hebrew and Chaldean tongues . It matters but little ,
however , for it is presumed by distinguished ancient writers , that prior to tho Hood these were one language . Other nationalities incline to claim the original language , as perpetrated in them . The Chinese claim to have the oldest existing language , and they have what seems to he the identical one spoken by them after the flood . Their