3-* Die Elemente der Philosophischen Sprachwissenschaft Wilhelm von Humboldt’s. In systematischer Entwicklung dargestellt und kritisch erläutert, von Dr. Max Schasler, Berlin, 1847.
3-† Die Sprachwissenschaft Wilhelm von Humboldt’s und die Hegel’sche Philosophie, von H. Steinthal, Dr., Berlin, 1848. The same eminent linguist treats especially of Humboldt’s teachings in Grammatik, Logik und Psychologie, ihre Principien und ihr Verhältniss zu einander, pp. 123-135 (Berlin, 1855); in his well-known volume Characteristik der Hauptsächlichsten Typen des Sprachbaues, pp. 20-70 (Berlin, 1860); in his recent oration Ueber Wilhelm von Humboldt (Berlin, 1883); and elsewhere.
3-‡ Wilhelm von Humboldt’s Linguistical Studies. By C. J. Adler, A.M. (New York, 1866). This is the only attempt, so far as I know, to present Humboldt’s philosophy of language to English readers. It is meritorious, but certainly in some passages Prof. Adler failed to catch Humboldt’s meaning.
4-* Ueber die Verschiedenheit des menschlichen Sprachbaues und ihren Einfluss auf die geistige Entwickelung des Menschengeschlechts. Prof. Adler translates this “The Structural Differences of Human Speech and their Influence on the Intellectual Development of the Human Race.” The word geistige, however, includes emotional as well as intellectual things.
4-† Ueber die Verschiedenheit, etc., Bd. vi, s. 271, note. I may say, once for all, that my references, unless otherwise stated, are to the edition of Humboldt’s Gesammelte Werke, edited by his brother, Berlin, 1841-1852.
5-* Aus Wilhelm von Humboldt’s letzien Lebensjahren. Eine Mütheilung bisher unbekannter Briefe. Von Theodor Distel, p. 19 (Leipzig, 1883).
6-* From his memoir Ueber das vergleichende Sprachtstudium in Beziehung auf die verschiedenen Epochen der Sprachentwicklung, Bd. iii, s. 249.
6-† He draws examples from the Carib, Lule, Tupi, Mbaya, Huasteca, Nahuatl, Tamanaca, Abipone, and Mixteca; Ueber das Entstehen der grammatischen Formen, und ihren Einfluss auf die Ideenentwicklung, Bd. iii, ss. 269-306.
6-‡ Ueber die Buchstabenschrift und ihren Zusummenhang mit dem Sprachbau, Bd. vi, s. 526
6-‖ This letter is printed in the memoir of Prof. E. Teza, Intorno agli Studi del Thavenet sulla Lingua Algonchina, in the Annali delle Università toscane, Tomo xviii (Pisa, 1880).
6-§ Compare Prof. Adler’s Essay, above mentioned, p. 11.
7-* This is found expressed nowhere else so clearly as at the beginning of § 13, where the author writes: “Der Zweck dieser Einleitung, die Sprachen, in der Verschiedenartigkeit ihres Baues, als die nothwendige Grundlage der Fortbildung des menschlichen Geistes darzustellen, und den wechsel seitigen Einfluss des Einen auf das Andre zu erörtern, hat mich genöthigt, in die Natur der Sprache überhaupt einzugehen.” Bd. vi, s. 106.
7-† “Der Idee der Sprachvollendung Dasein in der Wirklichkeit zu gewinnen.” Ueber die Verschiedenheit, ss. 10 and 11. The objection which may be urged that a true philosophy of language must deal in universals and not confine itself to mere differentiations (particulars) is neatly met by Dr. Schasler, Die Elemente der Philosophischen Sprachwissenschaft, etc., p. 21, note.
8-* In his remarkable essay “On the Mission of the Historian,” which Prof. Adler justly describes as “scarcely anything more than a preliminary to his linguistical researches,” Humboldt writes: “Die Philosophie schreibt den Begebenheiten ein Ziel vor: dies Suchen nach Endursachen, man mag sie auch aus dem Wesen des Menschen und der Natur selbst ableiten wollen, stört und verfalscht alle freie Ansicht des eigenthümlichen Wirkens der Kräfte.” Ueber die Aufgabe des Geschichtschreibers, Bd. i, s. 13.
8-† “Das Studium der verschiedenen Sprachen des Erdbodens verfehlt seine Bestimmung, wenn es nicht immer den Gang der geistigen Bildung im Auge behält, und darin seinen eigentlichen Zweck sucht.” Ueber den Zusammenhang der Schrift mit der Sprache, Bd. vi, s. 428.
8-‡ “Eine Gedankenwelt an Töne geheftet.” Ueber die Buchstabenschrift und ihre Zusammenhang mit dem Sprachbau, Bd. vi, s. 530.
8-‖ This cardinal point in Humboldt’s philosophy is very clearly set forth in his essay, “Ueber die Aufgabe des Geschichtschreibers,” Bd. i, s. 23, and elsewhere.
8-§ See Ueber die Buchstabenschrift, etc., Bd. vi, s. 530.
9-* “Les notions grammaticales resident bien plutôt dans l’esprit de celui qui parle que dans le matériel du language.” Humboldt, Lettre à M. Abel-Remusat Werke, Bd. vii, s. 396. On the realms of the three varieties of grammar, see also Dr. M. Schasler, Die Elemente der Philosophischen Sprachwissenschaft, etc., s. 35, 36, and Friedrich Müller, Grundriss der Sprachwissenschaft, Band 1, ss. 8-10 (Wien, 1876). Schasler observes that a main object in philosophic grammar is an investigation of “die genetisch-qualitativen Unterschiede der Redetheile,” that is, of the fundamental psychological differences of the parts of speech, as, what is the ultimate distinction between noun and adjective, etc.?
10-* Steinthal does not like Humboldt’s expression “to make capable” (fähig zu machen). He objects that the “capacity” to express thought is already in the articulate sounds. But what Humboldt wishes to convey is precisely that this capacity is only derived from the ceaseless, energizing effort of the intellect. Steinthal, Die Sprachwissenschaft Wilhelm von Humboldt’s, s. 91, note. The words in the original are: “Die sich ewig wiederholende Arbeit des Geistes, den articulirten Laut zum Ausdruck des Gedanken fähig zu machen.”
10-† “Nur die Stärke des Selbstbewusstseins nöthigt der körperlichen Natur die scharfe Theilung und feste Begrenzung der Laute ab, die wir Artikulation nennen.” Ueber das Vergleichende Sprachstudium in Beziehung auf die Verschiedenen Epochen der Sprachentwicklung, Bd. iii, s. 244.
11-* Ubi suprá, p. 17. Compare Humboldt’s words, “Im Ich aber ist von selbst auch das Du gegeben.” Ueber die Verschiedenheit, etc., Bd. vi, s. 115.
11-† Ueber die Verschiedenheit, etc., Bd. vi, s. 116; and compare Dr. Schasler’s discussion of this subject (which is one of the best parts of his book), Die Elemente der Phil. Sprachwissenschaft, etc., ss. 202-14.
11-‡ Expressed in detail by Humboldt in his Lettre à M. Abel-Remusat sur la nature des formes grammaticules, etc., Bd. vii, ss. 300-303.
12-* Ueber die Verwandtschaft der Ortsadverbia mit dem Pronomen in einigen Sprachen, in the Abhandlungen der hist.-phil. Classe der Berliner Akad. der Wiss. 1829.
12-† Ueber die Verschiedenheit, etc., Bd. vi, s. 115.
12-‡ Gesammelte Werke, Bd. vii, ss. 392-6.
13-* His explanation of inflection is most fully given in his Introductory Essay, Ueber die Verschiedenheit, etc., § 14, Gesammelte Werke, s. 121, sqq. A sharp, but friendly criticism of this central point of his linguistic philosophy may be found in Steinthal, Charakteristik der Hauptsächlichsten Typen des Sprachbones, ss. 58-61. Humboldt certainly appears not only obscure in parts but contradictory.
14-* See these teachings clearly set forth in his Essay, Ueber das vergleichende Sprachstudium in Beziehung auf die verschiedenen Epochen der Sprachentwicklung, Werke, Bd. iii, especially, s. 255 and s. 262.
15-* The eloquent and extraordinary passage in which these opinions are expressed is in his Lettre à M. Abel-Remusat, Gesammelte Werke, Bd. vii, ss. 336-7.
15-† Gesammelte Werke, Bd. iii, ss. 248, 257.
16-* This reasoning is developed in the essay, Ueber das Vergleichende Sprachstudium, etc., Gesammelte Werke, Bd. iii, ss. 241-268; and see ibid, s. 270.
16-† See the essay Ueber die Buchstabenschrift und ihren Zusammenhang mit dem Sprachbau, Ges. Werke, Bd. vi, ss. 551-2.
17-* On this subtle point, which has been by no means the least difficult to his commentators, see Humboldt’s Introduction Ueber die Verschiedenheit, etc., Ges. Werke, Bd. vi, ss. 45-6, 92-5, 254-5, by a careful comparison of which passages his real intent will become apparent.
17-† Lettre à M. Abbe-Remusat, Ges. Werke, Bd. vii, s. 396.
18-* “Nicht was in einer Sprache ausgedrückt zu werden vermag, sondern das, wozu sie aus eigner, innerer Kraft anfeuert und begeistert, entscheidet über ihre Vorzüge oder Mängel.” Ueber das Entstehen der Grammatischen Formen, etc, Werke, Bd. iii, s. 272. Compare with this the expression in his celebrated Einleitung: “Die Sprache ist das bildende Organ des Gedanken,” Werke, Bd. vi, s. 51. A perfected language will “allseitig und harmonisch durch sich selbst auf den Geist einwirken.” Ibid, s. 311.
19-* Ueber das Entstehen der grammatischen Formen,“ etc., Werke, Bd. iii, s. 292.
19-† Speaking of such “imperfect” languages, he gives the following wise suggestion for their study: “Ihr einfaches Geheimniss, welches den Weg anzeigt, auf welchem man sie, mit gänzlicher Vergessenheit unserer Grammatik, immer zuerst zu enträthseln versuchen muss, ist, das in sich Bedeutende unmittelbar an einander zu reihen.” Ueber das Vergleichende Sprachstudium, etc., Werke, Bd. iii, s. 255; and for a practical illustration of his method, see the essay, Ueber das Entstehen der grammatischen Formen, etc., Bd. iii, s. 274.
20-* His teachings on this point, of which I give the barest outline, are developed in sections 12 and 13 of his Introduction, Ueber die Verschiedenheit, etc. Steinthal’s critical remarks on these sections (in his Charakteristik der haupt. Typen des Sprachbaues) seem to me unsatisfactory, and he even does not appear to grasp the chain of Humboldt’s reasoning.
21-* Lettre à M. Abel-Remusat, Werke, Bd. vii, ss. 353-4.
21-† Ueber die Verschiedenheit, etc., Sec. 23, Werke, Bd. vi, s. 329.
24-* “Der Mexikanischen kann man am Verbum, in welchem die Zeiten durch einzelne Endbuchstaben und zum Theil offenbar symbolisch bezeichnet werden, Flexionen und ein gewisses Streben nach Sanskritischer Worteinheit nicht absprechen.” Ueber die Verschiedenheit, etc., Werke, Bd. vi, s. 176.
25-* “Daher ist das Einschliessen in Ein Wort mehr Sache der Einbildungskraft, die Trennung mehr die des Verstandes.” Ueber die Verschiedenheit, etc., s. 327. Compare also, s. 326 and 166. Steinthal points out the disadvantages of the incorporative plan and puts it lower than the isolating system of the Chinese; but fails to recognize its many and striking advantages. See his remarks, “Ueber das Wesen und Werth der Einverleibungsmethode,” in his Charakteristik der haupt. Typen des Sprachbaues, s. 214.
25-† Ueber die Verschiedenheit, etc., in Werke, Bd. vi, ss. 323 sqq.
27-* See the essay, Ueber den Dualis, Gesammelte Werke, Bd. vi, ss. 562-596.
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The following errors have been maintained.
| Page | Error | Correction |
| 15 | unneccessary | unnecessary |
| 16 | grammer | grammar |
| 17 | tendncy | tendency |
| 23 | acustomed, | accustomed |
| 23 | fullfils | fulfils |
| 29 | Humboldt | Humboldt. |
| 33 | mil quis amaiciton, should have numbers over the words in to match numbers on the next line | |
| 39 | powever | power |
| 46 | unabreviated | unabbreviated |
| fn 3-† | Characteristik | Charakteristik |
| fn 6-* | Sprachtstudium | Sprachstudium |
| fn 6-‡ | Zusummenhang | Zusammenhang |
| fn 13-* | Sprachbones, | Sprachbaues |
| fn 17-† | Abbe-Remusat, | Abel-Remusat |
| fn 18-* | etc | etc. |
| fn 19-* | Ueber | “Ueber |