WHAT remains to be examined in the Ch. II. following Chapter, is Language under its characteristic and peculiar FORM, that is to say, Language confidered, not with refpect to Sound, but to Meaning.

The following Paffage, taken from that able Mathematician Tacquet, will be found peculiarly pertinent to what has been faid in this chapter concerning Elementary Sounds, p. 324, 325.

Mille milliones fcriptorum mille annorum millionibus non Jcribent omnes 24 litterarum alpbabeti permutationes, licet finguli quotidiè abfolverent 40 paginas, quarum unaquæque contineret diverfos ordines litterarum 24. Tacquet Arithmetica Theor. p. 381. Edit. Antverp. 1663.

Ch. III.

CHA P. III.

Upon the Form, or peculiar Character of

Language.

W &

HEN to any articulate Voice

there accedes by compact a Meaning or Signification, fuch Voice by fuch acceffion is then called A WORD; and many Words, poffefling their Significations (as it were) under the fame Compact (a), unite in conftituting a PARTICULAR LANGUAGE.

IT

(a) See before Note (c) p. 314. See alfo Vol. I. Treatife II. c. 1. Notes (a) and (c).

The following Quotation from Ammonius is remarkable-Καθάπερ εν τὸ μὲν κατὰ τόπον κινεῖσθαι, φύσει, τὸ δὲ ὀρχεῖσθαι, θέσει καὶ κατὰ συνθήκην, καὶ τὸ μὲν ξύλον, φύσει, ἡ δὲ θύρα, θέσει· ὕτω καὶ τὸ μὲν φωνεῖν, φύσει, τὸ δὲ δι ̓ ὀνομάτων ἢ ξημάτων σημαίνειν, θέσει—καὶ ἔοικε τὴν μὲν φωνητικὴν δύναμιν, ὄργανον ἦσαν τῶν ψυχικῶν ἐν ἡμῖν δυνάμεων γνωσικῶν, ἡ ὀρεκτικῶν, κατὰ φύσιν ἔχειν ὁ ἄνθρωπο παραπλησίως τοῖς ἀλόγοις

ζώοις

It appears from hence, that A WORD Ch. III. may be defined a Voice articulate, and fignificant by Compact—and that LANGUAGE may be defined a System of fuch Voices, fo fignificant.

IT is from notions like these concerning Language and Words, that one may

be

ζώοις· τὸ δὲ ὀνόμασιν, ἡ ῥήμασιν, ἢ τοῖς ἐκ τέτων συγκειμένοις λόγοις χρῆσθαι πρὸς τὴν σημασίαν (ἐκέτι φύσει ἔσιν, ἀλλὰ θέσει) ἐξαίρετον ἔχειν πρὸς τὰ ἄλογα ζῶα, διότι καὶ μόνα τῶν θνητῶν αυτοκινήτε μετέχει ψυχῆς, καὶ τεχνικῶς ἐνεργεῖν δυναμένης, ἵνα καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ φωνεῖν ἡ τεχνική αυτῆς διακρίνηται δύναμις· δηλᾶσι δὲ ταῦτα οἱ εἰς κάλλο συντιθέμενοι λόγοι μετὰ μέτρων, ἡ ἄνευ μέτρων. In the fame manner therefore, as local Motion is from Nature, but Dancing is fomething pofitive; and as Timber exifts in Nature, but a Door is fomething pofitive; fo is the power of producing a vocal Sound founded in Nature, but that of explaining ourselves by Nouns, r Verbs, fomething pofitive. And hence it is, that as to the fimple power of producing vocal Sound (which is as it were the Organ or Inftrument to the Soul's faculties of Knowledge or Volition) as to this vocal power I fay, Man feems to poffefs it from Nature, in like manner as

irra

330

Ch. III. be tempted to call LANGUAGE a kind of

PICTURE OF THE UNIVERSE, where the Words are as the Figures or Images of all particulars.

AND yet it may be doubted, how far

this is true. For if Pictures and Images are all of them Imitations, it will follow, that whoever has natural faculties to know

the

irrational animals: but as to the employing of Nouns, or Verbs, or Sentences compofed out of them, in the explanation of our Sentiments (the things thus employed being founded not in Nature, but in Pofition) this he seems to poffefs by way of peculiar eminence, because he alone of all mortal Beings partakes of a Soul, which can move itself, and operate artificially; fo that even in the Subject of Sound his artificial Power fhews itself; as the various elegant Compofitions both in Metre, and without Metre, abundantly prove. Ammon. de Interpr. p. 51. a.

It must be observed, that the operating artificially, (ivegyen texvixws) of which Ammonius here speaks, and which he confiders as a distinctive Mark peculiar to the Human Soul, means fomething very different from the mere producing works of elegance and defign; else it could never be a mark of Diftinction between Man, and many other Species of Animals, fuch as the Bee, the Beaver, the Swallow, &c. See Vol. I. p. 8, 9, 10. 158, 159, $3c.

the Original, will by help of the fame Ch. III. faculties know alfo its Imitations.

But it

by no means follows, that he who knows any Being, should know for that reafon its Greek or Latin Name.

THE Truth is, that every Medium, through which we exhibit any thing to another's Contemplation, is either derived from Natural Attributes, and then it is an IMITATION; or elfe from Accidents quite arbitrary, and then it is a SYMBOL (b).

Now,

(h) Διαφέρει δὲ τὸ ΟΜΟΙΩΜΑ τῷ ΣΥΜΒΟΛΟΥ, καθόσον τὸ μὲν ὁμοίωμα τὴν φύσιν αυτὴν τῆ πράγματος κατὰ τὸ δυνατὸν ἀπεικονίζεσθαι βέλεται, καὶ ἐκ ἔσιν ἐφ' ἡμῖν ἀυτὸ μεταπλάσαι· τὸ γὰρ ἐν τῇ εἰκόνι γεγραμμένο το Σωκράτες ὁμοίωμα, ἐν μὴ καὶ τὸ Φαλακρὸν, καὶ τὸ σιμὸν, καὶ τὸ ἐξώφθαλμον ἔχει τὸ Σωκράτες, ἐκέτ' ἂν ἀυτῷ λέγοιτο εἶναι ὁμοίωμα τὸ δέ γε σύμβολον, ἤτοι σημείον, (αμφότερα γὰρ ὁ φιλόσοφον αυτὸ ὀνομάζει) τὸ ὅλον ἐφ' ἡμῖν ἔχει, ἅτε καὶ ἐκ μόνης ὑφισάμενον τῆς ἡμετέρας ἐπινοίας· οἷον, τὸ πότε δεν συμβάλλειν ἀλλήλοις τὰς πολεμέντας, δύναται

σύμ