Page:The Brasilian language and its agglutination.pdf/21

 and Growth of language, » discussing on the subject matter, says, as follows:

« Proceeding by analogy and taking, as a starting point, the Indo-European languages, we can state, that what the remaining languages of the World may contain about the matter of flections and of formative instruments, has all been elaborated, as in these languages, from the mass of a rude vocabulary, formed with entirely concrete words, which constitutes the primitive period of languages.

« If, however, it were possible to demonstrate the existence of languages, which were brought forth at once, as inflectional; then, this opinion should be renounced. But very rigorous proofs would be required for making good such a demonstration.

« Language is an instrument, and the laws of the simplicity of beginnings is applied to languages, as it is to any other thing.

Each root must have begun by containing, (as it is still noted, now-adays, in certain monosyllables under the character of interjections,) an affirmation, an idea, a question, an order, etc., and the tone and the gesture or the circumstances would complete their signification. »