Mental Evolution in Man: Origin of Human FacultyRomanes, George John
Science
Mental Evolution in Man: Origin of Human Faculty
Romanes, George John
Evolution; Psychology, Comparative
87. Seek.
88. Hear.
89. Smell, sniff.
90. Sweat.
91. Seethe, boil.
92. Dance.
93. Leap.
94. Creep.
95. Stumble.
96. Stick.
97. Burn.
98. Dwell.
99. Stand.
100. Sink, lie, fail.
101. Swing.
102. Hang down, lean.
103. Rise up, grow.
104. Sit.
105. Toil.
106. Weary, waste, slacken.
107. Rejoice, please.
108. Desire, love.
109. Wake.
110. Fear.
111. Cool, refresh.
112. Stink.
113. Hate.
114. Know.
115. Think.
116. Shine.
117. Run.
118. Move, go.
119a. Noise, inarticulate.
119b. Noise, musical.
120. Do.
121. Be.
“These 121 concepts constitute the stock-in-trade with which I maintain
that every thought that has ever passed through the mind of India, so
far as it is known to us in its literature, has been expressed. It
would have been easy to reduce that number still further, for there are
several among them which could be ranged together under more general
concepts. But I leave this further reduction to others, being satisfied
as a first attempt with having shown how small a number of seeds may
produce, and has produced, the enormous intellectual vegetation that
has covered the soil of India from the most distant antiquity to the
present day.”[180]
Now, the first thing which strikes one on reading this list is, that it
unquestionably justifies the inference of its compiler, namely, “if the
Science of Language has proved anything, it has proved that every term
which is applied to a particular idea or object (unless it be a proper
name) is already a general term.” But the next thing which immediately
strikes one is that the list, surprisingly short as it is, nevertheless
is much too long to admit of being interpreted as, in any intelligible
sense of the words, an inventory of “original concepts”—unless by
“original” we are to understand the ultimate results of philological
analysis. That all these concepts are not “original” in the sense of
representing the ideation of really primitive man, is abundantly proved
by two facts.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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