LANGUAGE AND SCIENCE 207

It has, for example, been objected against the intellectual

ability of the Society Islanders that they have separate

words for " dog's tail," " bird's tail," '' sheep's tail," etc., but

no word for tail itself i.e., tail in general. But really the

experience of the use of that word by ourselves leads us

to consider the condition of these Islanders in this respect

to be no great misfortune. We have our word " tail " tail

in general and it is constantly made use of in a way

which is hopelessly misleading. To use the same term,

as we do, for what we call the "tails" of a peacock, a

monkey, and a lobster is, so far, to be in a worse plight

than that asserted of the Society Islander.

Much has been said about some savages being unable

to say <: I." Thus Professor Sayce tells us a Malay who

would mean " I " says ulun that is, " a man " in Lampong

- and also that at least one other race expresses the idea

' a man " in a similar manner.

But that is of not the slightest consequence as regards

the intellectuality of the speaker. As a child will say

" Charley don't like it,'' meaning " I do not like it," so if

an adult Englishman were to speak of himself as " this one

here," pointing to his breast, his meaning would be as clear

as if he articulated the sound " I."

It has been supposed that the Grebo two sounds "z ne,"

which may mean " I do it " or " you do not," according to

the context and gestures of the speaker, may be taken as

evidence of conscious speaking in the making. Yet we

have in our own language equivalent instances of the ex-

plication of sound by context or gesture. Thus the

expression " my work " may be shown to either signify " I

do it ' or "you do not." A man may say "my work"

pointing to the product with a look showing lively satis-

faction at being able to boast himself as the performer of

so remarkable a feat ; or he may say " my work " while

It has, for example, been objected against the intellectual

ability of the Society Islanders that they have separate

words for " dog's tail," " bird's tail," '' sheep's tail," etc., but

no word for tail itself i.e., tail in general. But really the

experience of the use of that word by ourselves leads us

to consider the condition of these Islanders in this respect

to be no great misfortune. We have our word " tail " tail

in general and it is constantly made use of in a way

which is hopelessly misleading. To use the same term,

as we do, for what we call the "tails" of a peacock, a

monkey, and a lobster is, so far, to be in a worse plight

than that asserted of the Society Islander.

Much has been said about some savages being unable

to say <: I." Thus Professor Sayce tells us a Malay who

would mean " I " says ulun that is, " a man " in Lampong

- and also that at least one other race expresses the idea

' a man " in a similar manner.

But that is of not the slightest consequence as regards

the intellectuality of the speaker. As a child will say

" Charley don't like it,'' meaning " I do not like it," so if

an adult Englishman were to speak of himself as " this one

here," pointing to his breast, his meaning would be as clear

as if he articulated the sound " I."

It has been supposed that the Grebo two sounds "z ne,"

which may mean " I do it " or " you do not," according to

the context and gestures of the speaker, may be taken as

evidence of conscious speaking in the making. Yet we

have in our own language equivalent instances of the ex-

plication of sound by context or gesture. Thus the

expression " my work " may be shown to either signify " I

do it ' or "you do not." A man may say "my work"

pointing to the product with a look showing lively satis-

faction at being able to boast himself as the performer of

so remarkable a feat ; or he may say " my work " while