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On the Evolution of Language / First Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1879-80, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1881, pages 1-16 cover

On the Evolution of Language / First Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1879-80, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1881, pages 1-16

By John Wesley Powell
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Language & Communication

About This Book

The essay argues that languages evolve by combining a small stock of words into many expressions through three principal grammatical processes: combination (juxtaposition, compounding, agglutination, inflection), vocalic mutation, and intonation. It explains how themes and formative elements, such as affixes and incorporated pronouns, serve to mark tense, number, person, gender, and case, and how repetitive paradigmatic use wears and reduces forms. Comparative examples from Chinese, English, Hebrew, and various Native American languages illustrate stages in the specialization of grammatical processes, the differentiation of parts of speech, and the gradual integration of sentence structure.

About the Author

Powell, John Wesley portrait

John Wesley Powell

John Wesley Powell was a prominent American geologist, explorer, and ethnologist known for his pioneering explorations of the American West. He is best remembered for his adventurous journey through the Grand Canyon, which he documented in his book "Canyons of the Colorado." Powell's work significantly contributed to the understanding of the geology and ecology of the arid regions of the United States. He also served as the second director of the U.S. Geological Survey and was instrumental in the establishment of the Bureau of Ethnology, where he published important studies on Native American languages and cultures. His legacy includes a commitment to scientific exploration and environmental conservation.

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Canyons of the Colorado cover Canyons of the Colorado by John Wesley Powell First through the Grand Canyon cover First through the Grand Canyon by John Wesley Powell Indian Linguistic Families of America, North of Mexico / Seventh Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1885-1886, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1891, pages 1-142 cover Indian Linguistic Families of America, North of Mexico / Seventh Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1885-1886, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1891, pages 1-142 by John Wesley Powell On Limitations to the Use of Some Anthropologic Data cover On Limitations to the Use of Some Anthropologic Data by John Wesley Powell Report on the lands of the arid region of the United States, with a more detailed account of the lands of Utah cover Report on the lands of the arid region of the United States, with a more detailed account of the lands of Utah by John Wesley Powell Sketch of the Mythology of the North American Indians / First Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1879-80, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1881, pages 17-56 cover Sketch of the Mythology of the North American Indians / First Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1879-80, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1881, pages 17-56 by John Wesley Powell

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