Indian Antiquary Vol 23

SR No.: 032515
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 412
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 16 MB

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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[JULY, 1894.
to be eked out by tones; that all languages had the Ainos of Japan are not yet generally acept. tones originally, those apparently in which they ed as survivals of these), but the cumulative now exist being the better preserved; and that thus evidence at present available all supports the a division of languages into Polytonic and theory that the more savage & language, the Monotonie is a useful and real one. It need only harsher and more numerous its sounds. This is be said concerning this theory (which might, with particularly the case amongst the Mongoloils of advantage, have been broached elsewhere than in South-Western Asia, and ruther upsets the theory an official publication) that it affords an interest of the primitive use of tones. Noauthority is given ing example-firstly of the danger of a priori for the statement that tones are dying out in the reasoning, and secondly of the tendency, which older languages of the Malay Peninsular, and I has been frequently noted before, of so many should be very sceptical as to the possibility of amateurs in the science of language to dogmatise adducing any satisfactory proof thereof, in view of regarding it in a manner, which could only be our very recent acquaintance with them. There justified on the supposition that it is a mere is, moreover, no proof whatever that such a state sport for children rather than a complicated and of affairs prevails in the Talaing or Mön language, inct science. The modern origin of tones and where, as already pointed out, the existence of its cause, namely, the elision and coalescence of tones at any epoch is very doubtful, and where, in consonants and vowels formerly possessing a dis- fact, it seems probable that tones, if they do now tinct existence, are now so well known and admit
exist, are merely a new growth. tedly all, who have studied the subject, that it is unneceseary for me here to set forth the grounds
The use of synonyms, which is a marked feature, for this belief seriatim; thongh the names of
not only of Chinese and Burmese, but also of Sayco, Edkins and de la Couperie may be men
many allied languages, and which prevails to a far tioned as authorities.
greater extent in the book language than in that
used by the common people, does not, I think, It may, however, be not out of place to notice
evince any tendency towards the disuse of tones. here the different arguments brought forward by It is rather the clumsy make-shift of the MongoMr. Eales in support of his theory. The first of loids, so wanting in ideality themselves, and the theso, namely, the admission' by Prof. Max
genius of whose language absolutely forbids the Müller that languages may have passed from inflection of words, to express thoughts of a more the radical, through the agglutinative, into the abstract and delicate nature than those which inflectioual stage' rests on rather a rotten basis, alone occur in the savage infancy of races. The as this theory of the different stages of languages chief use of synonyms is, in fact, to express new is now quite discredited. The example of ideas, and that of tones to prevent confusion, owing
to coalescence of word or sound, between old ones. stereotyped." is almost equally unfortunate. It is strange that Mr. Eales, who is, as already Whaterer may be the case formerly, it is certain noted, well aware of the existence of these that the sounds and tones of the Chinese lan
synonyms, should quote with approval the incor. guage have suffered.considerably from evolution
rect statement of Dr. Cushing with regard to these or decay, whichever we like to call it, in historic languages, that "on a new object being presented times, so that Chinese has no better claim to to the inind a new name was wanted and the be the best preserved example of the primitive
possibility of uniting two words to form a new languages than Sanskrit has to be the best pre
word never occurred." served of the old Aryan language or dialect, in spite of the specious arguments which have been
I do not wish to deny that tones may possibly advanced the contrary. No further example have existed in ancient Egyptian, as well as posof anci. c ne-using languages is adduced, pro
sibly in other languages now no longer existing, bably for the very sufficient reason of there not but it seems evident that the facts everywhere, BO being any, and we are at once invited to swallow far as they are known to us, point to tones as the dictum that the primeval savage possessed being merely one of the last resources of a decay. very few sounds, and was, therefore, forced to the ing language, and to be as unknown as they use of tones.
would be unnecessary in those still possessing
their primitive vigour and harshness. We have no means as yet of knowing the sounds most favoured by the cave-men (at least
BERNARD HOUGHTON.
• Languages of China before the Chinese.
. The theory is stated most clearly and unequivocally by the latter, though the truth of his assertion, that
he was the first to annunciate it, cannot certainly be admitted