CHAPTER VII.

THE NATURAL SIGNIFICANCY OF ARTICULATE SOUNDS.

§ 167. The natural significance of sounds, although it has hitherto been exhibited imperfectly, and only in distant surmises, is now beginning to be regarded as one of the deepest and most important doctrines in philology. It is considered as an established fact that every articulate sound has naturally a specific import. For, in order to the existence of language, it is not enough that man has the organs of speech, that he has sensations and ideas, and that he has a desire to communicate them to others, but it is also necessary that sounds should have a natural adaptedness to express the particular sensations and ideas.

Although existing languages exhibit, as it were, only partial fragments and mutilated ruins of the ancient tongues once spoken on our earth, yet the principle for which we contend is still sufficiently evident in them, more especially in the popular dialects, and in the terms employed for describing sensible objects, operations, and relations. In innumerable cases, where the relation is the same, the same sound has been chosen, to speak algebraically, as the exponent of that relation.

It must, however, be remarked, that the natural significancy of sounds is, for the most part, a matter of feeling, and can not be exhibited in nice logical distinctions. Instruction on this subject can only furnish hints, which may awaken attention to the life and energy which pervade language, and give a general idea of the import

of sounds.

Some of our best poets have been highly commended for adapting the sound to the sense. Surely this would not be possible unless there were some correlation between sound and sense.

The vowel constitutes the life and soul of a word, the consonant its body or form. The vowel is more fleeting and changeable, yet not entirely arbitrary.

In examining the import of the different vowel and consonant sounds, we shall endeavor to follow the order of their development. Hence we begin with the vowels.

I. The Mean Vowel a.

The sound of a in father is to be regarded as the leading vowelsound in the Indo-European languages; (1.) Because it is the simplest and most easily enounced; (2.) Because it is the first enounced by children; (3.) Because it is the most common vowel-sound; (4.) Because it is a part of most roots; and (5.) Because it stands at the head of most alphabets.

Among the uses of this vowel are the following:

1. As the enunciation of this vowel requires nothing but the ordinary position of the organs of speech, with a simple opening of the mouth and breathing, it is the natural expression of passion, pain, or grief; as, Sanscrit ha, Persian ah, Hebrew ahh, Arabic ah, Greek a, Latin ah, German ach, ah, English ah, Welsh a, Irish a. 2. It enters into some verbs signifying to breathe; as, Greek aw, Latin halo, halare.

3. As the first and leading vowel, it is used where no reason exists for any special vowel. Hence it is found, as stated above, in a large proportion of Indo-European roots, in the technical names of the letters in Sanscrit, &c.

II. The Extreme Vowels u and i.

U, the lowest sound in the scale of vowels, is produced deep in the breast. Hence,

1. It expresses low and obscure sounds; as, Greek popuúpw, Latin murmuro, Russian murtshu, German murren, English murmur; Greek uvso, Latin mutio, musso, English mutter; Dutch grommelen, English grumble; Danish grum, English grum, Welsh grum; Greek ypúšw, γρύζω, Old Latin grundio, German grunzen, English grunt.

2. It expresses the red in color (for what reason does not appear); as, Greek ¿pv0pós̟, πνррós̟, πор‡Úрa; Latin ruber, rufus, purpura; German roth, Anglo-Saxon rude, English ruddy, Welsh rhuz, Armorican ruz, Latin russus, rutilus, French roux.

I, the highest sound in the scale of vowels, is produced high in the throat. Hence,

1. It expresses whatever is clear, shrill, bright, or small; as, Sanscrit didhi, to shine; Latin viridis; Greek pikpóç.

2. It expresses the white in color (for what reason does not appear); as, Prussian sipid, white; Latin lilium.

III. The Mixed Vowels o and e.

The o, which is formed from a and u, and the e, which is formed

from a and i, partake of the import of the vowels whence they originate.

NOTE. The force of the vowels may be best exhibited in words which differ only in their vowels; as, Greek κρώζω, κράζω, κρίζω ; μακρός and μικρός; ἀλαλάζω and ἐλελίζω ; Latin cachinnor, to laugh aloud, and German kichern, to titter; English ball and pill, both from Latin pila; English gloom and gleam; flame and flimmer; shake and shiver; quake and quiver; juggle, gaggle, giggle; cluck, clack, click ; croak, crack, creak; French gronder and grincer.

In passing to the consonants, we observe that the strong or weak consonants naturally denote strength or weakness respectively, and that the consonant of a particular organ of speech usually enters into the name of that organ.

IV. The Breathing or Aspiration h.

The letter h, or the breathing, is naturally adapted to express a breathing, or whatever occasions it, an aspiration for something, or whatever occasions it; as, Latin halo, to breathe; Sanscrit iha, desire; Zendish honover, desire; also, many Hebrew roots, formed with hhav, hav, and av, Latin aveo, which primarily denote breathing.

V. The Semi-Vowels w and y.

These letters, from their extreme weakness, are naturally adapted to express weakness, gentle motion, and kindred ideas; as, Latin vado (compare German waten, English wade); veho (compare German wegen in bewegen, English wag, weigh, wagon, wain, way, wave); vacillo (compare German wackeln, English waggle); verto (compare Latin versus, German -wärts, English -wards); volvo (compare German wälzen, English wallow, welter); German wallen, to spring up (whence English well); wandern (English wander); wehen, to blow (compare Latin ventus, English wind); wenden, to turn (English wend, past went); winden (English wind); weichen, to yield; wühlen, to stir. So w, when preceded by s or sh. See below. The Hebrew employs y initial where the Arabic has w, and the Teutonic uses w initial in the interrogative where the Sanscrit has y. Hence these semi-vowels can not greatly differ in their import.

VI. The Liquids 1 and r.

These liquids are naturally opposed to each other, as smooth and rough. In some languages, as the Sanscrit, they constitute vowels.

1. The smooth liquid l occurs in the name of the organ which is employed in its enunciation; as, Latin lingua.

2. It occurs in the name of actions in which the tongue is principally concerned; as, Greek λaλéw (compare Latin lallo, German lallen, English loll, Welsh llolian); λáñтw (Latin lambo, Danish labe, English lap, Welsh llepiaw, lleibiaw); λapvoow, λeixo (Sanscrit lih, Latin lingo, ligurio, Lithuanian lezu, Russian lizhu, German lecken, English lick, Irish lighim); ληρέω; λοιδορέω; λύζω; λωβάζω.

3. It expresses whatever is soft or soothing; as, Greek λaów, λeios (Latin levis), λευρός, λιαρός, λιπάζω, λούω (Latin luo, lavo).

4. L final, in nouns, forms diminutives; as, Greek ¿pwrúλos, a little lover, from epwc; Latin scutulum, a little shield, from scutum ; German bündel, from bund, English bundle, from bond; Latin sacculus, from saccus, German säckel, from sack, English satchel or sachel, from sack. In verbs it expresses a repetition of little actions; as, Latin cantillo, from canto; German betteln, from beten; English prattle, from prate; tingle, from ting; tinkle, from tink; crackle, from crack; twinkle, from twink.

The rough liquid r has the following functions, either alone, or preceded by k or g:

1. It denotes rattling or broken sounds; as, Greek Kρišw, KPOTÉw, Kрouw; English croak, crack, creak, crash, rattle.

2. It denotes interrupted or distorted motion; as, German, rad, krumm; English ring, rind, round, cramp, crook, crown, gripe, grasp, grapple. So wr. See below.

VII. The Nasals m, n, and ng.

The nasals m and n are employed to express negation, being the natural sounds to express refusal; as, Sanscrit mâ, Greek μý, lest ; Sanscrit na, Persian neh, Greek vɛ (in výnos), Latin ne (in non, nemo), German ne (in nicht, nein), English ne (in not, none), Lithuanian ne, Russian ne, Irish na, ni, Welsh na, ni, not.

The labial nasal m is one of the earliest sounds of infants, being formed by their practiced lips, and is used,

1. To express the mother or nurse, on account of their objective importance to the child; as, Hebrew em, English ma, &c., mother; German amme, nurse.

2. To express the pronoun of the first person, on account of its subjective importance to every one; as, Sanscrit mam, Greek μé, Latin me, English me, &c.

3. To express one of the most important mental operations; as, Sanscrit man, Greek μŋvów, Latin moneo, memini, German mahnen, meinen, English mean (compare Latin mens, English mind).

The lingual nasal n occurs in the name of the organ concerned; as, Latin nasus, English nose.

VIII. The Dentals s, sh, z, and zh.

The name sibilants given to this class of letters sufficiently indicates their import; compare Latin sibilo.

Ss final denotes sharp sounds; as, English hiss, siss, whisper, whistle.

Z final denotes sounds less sharp; as, English whiz, buzz.

Sh final denotes silence; as, hush; also, sounds or sights which break off suddenly; as, English clash, crash, flash, splash.

Sh initial expresses aversion; as, German scheu, English shy; English pshaw; shogh.

IX. The Palatal Mutes c or k, g, kh, and gh.

The import of the palatals is the least definite. Yet the atonic k is justly supposed to have a natural appropriateness to perform the function of an interrogative; as, Sanscrit kas, Greek koç (whence KÓTEρoç), Latin quis, Maso-Gothic hwas, Lithuanian kas, Russian koi, Gaelic co, who? A palatal is also found in words denoting hollowness and holding; as, Greek koiλos (whence Latin cœlum); Latin cavus, capio.

X. The Lingual Mutes t, d, th, and dh.

1. The lingual, whether atonic or subtonic, has a natural adaptedness to perform the function of a demonstrative; as, Sanscrit tat. it, tataras, one of two; Greek TÓ, TOUTO, TÓσ05, тoìos, &c.; Latin tantus, tot, talis, &c.; Lithuanian tas, ta, to, that; Gothic thata, that; German der, die, das, this; English that, this, &c.

2. The lingual is also found in three families of words, very extensively diffused through the Indo-European languages, each of which has the general import of pointing or demonstrating; as, (1.) Sanscrit tan, Greek Tavów, Tɛívw, Latin teneo, tendo, German dehnen, Russian tianu, English tend. (2.) Sanscrit dis', Greek deiko, Latin dico, doceo, German zeigen, Irish teagasgaim, English teach. (3.) Sanscrit da, Greek dów, didwu, Latin do, Lithuanian dumi, Russian daiu, to give.

XI. The Labial Mutes p, b, ph, and v.

1. The labials, from the ease with which they are enounced, have been employed to denote the first objects which interest the child; as, Sanscrit pitar, Zendish paitar, Persian padar, Greek Tárηp, Latin