Note 13 — Chapter I · THE ORIGIN OF LANGUAGE.

Plato’s Cratylus, p. 423, et passim; and Schleiermacher’s Introduction. The great authority on the ancient views of philology is Lersch, Sprachphilosophie der Alten. (Bonn, 1838-1841.) The question which agitated the schools was, φύσει τὰ ὀνόματα ἢ θέσει; it was generally decided in favour of the “Analogists,” though often for frivolous reasons. See Aul. Gell. Noct. Att. x. 4. (Renan, p. 137.) Cf. Xen. Mem. iv. 6. 1. Arrian, Epict. i. 17, ii. 10. Marc. Aur. iii. 2; v. 8; x. 8. These views of the mimetic character of words (Arist. Rhet. iii. 1, 2), and their intrinsic connection with things, did not seem to be much disturbed by the fact of the multiplicity of languages, although this fact led Aristotle to place the conventional element first. The very word βάρβαρος implies a lofty contempt for all languages except Greek, and traces of a similar contempt may be found in the vocabulary of many nations. Cf. Timtim, Zamzummim, &c., Renan, p. 178. Pictet’s Origines Indo-Eur. p. 56, seqq. (1 Cor. xiv. 11.)