All language depends on two general principles.First. The fixed and unvarying laws of nature which regulate matterand mind. Second. The agreement of those who use it.In accordance with these principles all language must be explained. Itis not only needless but impossible for us to deviate from them. Theyremain the same in all ages and in all countries. It should be theobject of the grammarian, and of all who employ language in theexpression of ideas, to become intimately acquainted with their use.It is the business of grammar to explain, not only verbal language, butalso the sublime principles upon which all written or spoken languagedepends. It forms an important part of physical and mental science,which, correctly explained, is abundantly simple and extensively usefulin its application to the affairs of human life and the promotion ofhuman enjoyment.It will not be contended that we are assuming a position beyond thecapacities of learners, that the course here adopted is too philosophic.Such is not the fact. Children are philosophers by nature. All theirideas are derived from things as presented to their observations. Nomother learns her child to lisp the name of a thing which has no being,but she chooses objects with which it is most familiar, and which aremost constantly before it; such as father, mother, brother, sister.She constantly points to the object named, that a distinct impressionmay be made upon its mind, and the thing signified, the idea of thething, and the name which represents it, are all inseparably associatedtogether. If the father is absent, the child may think of him from theidea or impression which his person and affection has produced in themind. If the mother pronounces his name with which it has becomefamiliar, the child will start, look about for the object, or thingsignified by the name, father, and not being able to discover him,will settle down contented with the idea of him deeply impressed onthe mind, and as distinctly understood as if the father was present inperson. So with every thing else.Again, after the child has become familiar with the name of the beingcalled father; the name, idea and object itself being intimatelyassociated the mother will next begin to teach it another lesson;following most undeviatingly the course which nature and true philosophymark out. The father comes and goes, is present or absent. She says onhis return, father come, and the little one looks round to see thething signified by the word father, the idea of which is distinctlyimpressed on the mind, and which it now sees present before it. But thisloved object has not always been here. It had looked round and calledfor the father. But the mother had told it he was gone. Father gone,father come, is her language, and here the child begins to learn ideasof actions. Of this it had, at first, no notion whatever, and neverthought of the father except when his person was present before it, forno impressions had been distinctly made upon the mind which could becalled up by a sound of which it could have no conceptions whatever. Nowthat it has advanced so far, the idea of the father is retained, eventho he is himself absent, and the child begins to associate the notionof coming and going with his presence or absence. Following out thiscourse the mind becomes acquainted with things and actions, or thechanges which things undergo.Next, the mother begins to learn her offspring the distinction andqualities of things. When the little sister comes to it in innocentplayfulness the mother says, "good sister," and with the descriptiveword good it soon begins to associate the quality expressed by theaffectionate regard, of its sister. But when that sister strikes thechild, or pesters it in any way, the mother says "naughty sister,""bad sister." It soon comprehends the descriptive words, good andbad, and along with them carries the association of ideas which suchconduct produces. In the same way it learns to distinguish thedifference between great and small, cold and hot, hard and soft.In this manner the child becomes acquainted with the use of language. Itfirst becomes acquainted with things, the idea of which is left upon themind, or, more properly, the impression of which, left on the mind,constitutes the idea; and a vocabulary of words are learned, whichrepresent these ideas, from which it may select those best calculatedto express its meaning whenever a conversation is had with another.
By: Godfrey Philander
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