The disorders of speech.

  • Wyllie, John, 1914-
Date:
1894
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The disorders of speech. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by UCL Library Services. The original may be consulted at UCL (University College London)

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    Origin of Written Language. The language of Gesture employed by deaf-mutes, savages, and others, has been described as substantially a picture-language, by means of which objects are, as it were, pictured in tbe air. As already indicated, it is held by many that this language of pictures in the air must have played an important part in preparing the way for the language of Spoken Words. This, however, cannot be proved to be a fact: it is only a proposition, with much to be said in its favour. It is very different in regard to the origin of Written lansniaGre. Here the evidence is conclusive. All authorities are agreed that there can be no possible doubt about the fact that picture-writing preceded word* writing, and that out of picture- writing, word-writing was slowly evolved. From the writings of Mr E. B. Tylor, I shall endeavour to extract a few of the most illustrative facts bearing upon the question. The various tribes of North American Indians have made, on rocks and tombstones and blazed pine-trees, many excellent examples of the most primitive type of picture-writing. They practise such picture-writing to the present day. Everything indicated is rudely but clearly drawn. In the record of a hunting expedition, for example, two comparatively large figures, those of a bear and a cat-fish, indicate the clan names or totems of the chiefs who took part in it; and a number of smaller figures, those of six cat-fish and one bear, indicate the spoil of the expedition. A warlike expedition, in like manner, is rendered by the figure of the chief on horseback; the totem of his principal ally, a king- fisher; six canoes, with upright lines in them to indicate the number of men in each; a tortoise, apparently to indicate that the expedition got to land; and three discs under a vault, to indicate that there were three suns under heaven, that is, that the voyage took three days. Among the semi-civilized Aztecs of Mexico, the Indian picture- writing made some steps in advance. Pictures, better drawn than those of the ruder Indians, continued to be used in writing, as the representatives of the things pictured, but already, long before the conquest of the country by the Spaniards, a new element had been added to the writing. It was the employment of a large number