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perfected； though in no language did they completely perfect themselves；
because for some unknown reason the motive powers of languages seem to have
ceased when they were on the eve of completion： they became fixed or
crystallized in an imperfect form either from the influence of writing and
literature； or because no further differentiation of them was required for
the intelligibility of language。 So not without admixture and confusion
and displacement and contamination of sounds and the meanings of words； a
lower stage of language passes into a higher。 Thus far we can see and no
further。 When we ask the reason why this principle of analogy prevails in
all the vast domain of language； there is no answer to the question； or no
other answer but this； that there are innumerable ways in which； like
number； analogy permeates； not only language； but the whole world； both
visible and intellectual。 We know from experience that it does not （a）
arise from any conscious act of reflection that the accusative of a Latin
noun in 'us' should end in 'um；' nor （b） from any necessity of being
understood；much less articulation would suffice for this； nor （c） from
greater convenience or expressiveness of particular sounds。 Such notions
were certainly far enough away from the mind of primitive man。 We may
speak of a latent instinct； of a survival of the fittest； easiest； most
euphonic； most economical of breath； in the case of one of two competing
sounds； but these expressions do not add anything to our knowledge。 We may
try to grasp the infinity of language either under the figure of a
limitless plain divided into countries and districts by natural boundaries；
or of a vast river eternally flowing whose origin is concealed from us； we
may apprehend partially the laws by which speech is regulated： but we do
not know； and we seem as if we should never know； any more than in the
parallel case of the origin of species； how vocal sounds received life and
grew； and in the form of languages came to be distributed over the earth。
iii。 Next in order to analogy in the formation of language or even prior
to it comes the principle of onomatopea； which is itself a kind of analogy
or similarity of sound and meaning。 In by far the greater number of words
it has become disguised and has disappeared； but in no stage of language is
it entirely lost。 It belongs chiefly to early language； in which words
were few； and its influence grew less and less as time went on。 To the ear
which had a sense of harmony it became a barbarism which disturbed the flow
and equilibrium of discourse； it was an excrescence which had to be cut
out； a survival which needed to be got rid of； because it was out of
keeping with the rest。 It remained for the most part only as a formative
principle； which used words and letters not as crude imitations of other
natural sounds； but as symbols of ideas which were naturally associated
with them。 It received in another way a new character； it affected not so
much single words； as larger portions of human speech。 It regulated the
juxtaposition of sounds and the cadence of sentences。 It was the music；
not of song； but of speech； in prose as well as verse。 The old onomatopea
of primitive language was refined into an onomatopea of a higher kind； in
which it is no longer true to say that a particular sound corresponds to a
motion or action of man or beast or movement of nature； but that in all the
higher uses of language the sound is the echo of the sense； especially in
poetry； in which beauty and expressiveness are given to human thoughts by
the harmonious composition of the words； syllables； letters； accents；
quantities； rhythms； rhymes； varieties and contrasts of all sorts。 The
poet with his 'Break； break； break' or his e pasin nekuessi
kataphthimenoisin anassein or his 'longius ex altoque sinum trahit；' can
produce a far finer music than any crude imitations of things or actions in
sound； although a letter or two having this imitative power may be a lesser
element of beauty in such passages。 The same subtle sensibility； which
adapts the word to the thing； adapts the sentence or cadence to the general
meaning or spirit of the passage。 This is the higher onomatopea which has
banished the cruder sort as unworthy to have a place in great languages and
literatures。
We can see clearly enough that letters or collocations of letters do by
various degrees of strength or weakness； length or shortness； emphasis or
pitch； become the natural expressions of the finer parts of human feeling
or thought。 And not only so； but letters themselves have a significance；
as Plato observes that the letter rho accent is expressive of motion； the
letters delta and tau of binding and rest； the letter lambda of smoothness；
nu of inwardness； the letter eta of length； the letter omicron of
roundness。 These were often combined so as to form composite notions； as
for example in tromos （trembling）； trachus （rugged）； thrauein （crush）；
krouein （strike）； thruptein （break）； pumbein （whirl）；in all which words
we notice a parallel composition of sounds in their English equivalents。
Plato also remarks； as we remark； that the onomatopoetic principle is far
from prevailing uniformly； and further that no explanation of language
consistently corresponds with any system of philosophy； however great may
be the light which language throws upon the nature of the mind。 Both in
Greek and English we find groups of words such as string； swing； sling；
spring； sting； which are parallel to one another and may be said to derive
their vocal effect partly from contrast of letters； but in which it is
impossible to assign a precise amount of meaning to each of the expressive
and onomatopoetic letters。 A few of them are directly imitative； as for
example the omega in oon； which represents the round form of the egg by the
figure of the mouth： or bronte （thunder）； in which the fulness of the
sound of the word corresponds to the thing signified by it； or bombos
（buzzing）； of which the first syllable； as in its English equivalent； has
the meaning of a deep sound。 We may observe also （as we see in the case of
the poor stammerer） that speech has the co…operation of the whole body and
may be often assisted or half expressed by gesticulation。 A sound or word
is not the work of the vocal organs only； nearly the whole of the upper
part of the human frame； including head； chest； lungs； have a share in
creating it； and it may be accompanied by a movement of the eyes； nose；
fingers； hands； feet which contributes to the effect of it。
The principle of onomatopea has fallen into discredit； partly because it
has been supposed to imply an actual manufacture of words out of syllables
and letters； like a piece of joiner's work；a theory of language which is
more and more refuted by facts； and more and more going out of fashion with
philologians； and partly also because the traces of onomatopea in separate
words