Page:Madras journal of literature and science vol 2 new series 1857.djvu/224

214 The Study of Living Languages, [no. 4, ^'EW series.

The learning of the living languages of foreign, semi-civilized, and savage people has now become a matter of such immeasurable importance that any man may be excused who makes the poorest attempt to diminish the difficulties of such a work.

Englishmen especially, are at this moment employed by thousands, as Merchants, Missionaries, Magistrates, &c., in learning hundreds of different languages spoken by people in all stages of civilization, from the lowest state of society upwards, and in their speedy acquisition of a correct knowledge and free colloquial use of several tongues of those tribes, hundreds of millions of the human race are most deeply interested, as that upon which mainly depends both their temporal and eternal interests. Yet I am not aware that there is in existence a single work in which this subject is closely and systematically investigated. It must be observed that the point before us is, what is the best mode of acquiring a knowledge of the language of savage and semi-civilized nations? and that this is in some important respects quite distinct from both the acquisition of dead languages and also of the living languages of nations who have been fully civilized and, consequently, have a complete system of literature, a great variety of books of instruction written by extensively informed Natives and also thoroughly educated teachers.

There are difficulties in learning the languages of semi-civilized and barbarous people which do not exist in the case of the languages of civilized nations, and with respect to the dead languages the principal points to be attended to and the objects aimed at are so entirely different from those in living languages, that what is applicable to the one is almost entirely inapplicable to the other.

Nothing can be more deplorable than this state of things. The mischiefs arising out of it are incalculable. All, without exception who require to know such a language, and who make attempts to acquire it, lose, probably from three fourths, to nineteen