The mind of primitive man : $b A course of lectures delivered before the Lowell Institute, Boston, Mass., and the National University of Mexico, 1910-1911Boas, Franz
Science
The mind of primitive man : $b A course of lectures delivered before the Lowell Institute, Boston, Mass., and the National University of Mexico, 1910-1911
Boas, Franz
Ethnopsychology; Race
Recent investigations of the physical types of Europe have shown with
great clearness that the distribution of types has remained the same for
a long period. Without considering details, it may be said that an
Alpine type can easily be distinguished from a North European type on
the one hand, and a South European type on the other (Ripley). The
Alpine type appears fairly uniform over a large territory, no matter
what language may be spoken and what national culture may prevail in the
particular district. The Central European Frenchmen, Germans, Italians,
and Slavs are so nearly of the same type, that we may safely assume a
considerable degree of blood-relationship, notwithstanding their
linguistic differences.
Instances of similar kind, in which we find permanence of blood with
far-reaching modifications of language and culture, are found in other
parts of the world. As an example may be mentioned the Veddah of Ceylon,
a people fundamentally different in type from the neighboring
Singhalese, whose language they seem to have adopted, and from whom they
have also evidently borrowed a number of cultural traits (Sarasin).
Still other examples are the Japanese of the northern part of Japan, who
are undoubtedly, to a considerable extent, Ainu in blood (Bälz); and the
Yukaghir of Siberia, who, while retaining to a great extent the old
blood, have been assimilated in culture and language by the neighboring
Tungus (Jochelson).
While it is therefore evident that in many cases a people, without
undergoing a considerable change in type by mixture, has changed
completely its language and culture, still other cases may be adduced in
which it can be shown that a people has retained its language while
undergoing material changes in blood and culture, or in both. As an
example of this may be mentioned the Magyar of Europe, who have retained
their old language, but have become mixed with people speaking
Indo-European languages, and who have, to all intents and purposes,
adopted European culture.
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