ion whether the mind acts without external stimulus, into which it
is not necessary to enter here, it is clear that this theory can neither
be proved nor disproved, because it postulates that this faculty existed
only when language first began, and later altogether disappeared. As we
have already seen, it is impossible for us to know what happened at the
first beginnings of language, because we have no information from any
period even approximately so remote; nor are we likely to attain it.
Even in their earliest stages the great families of language which
possess a history extending over many centuries--the Indo-Germanic and
the Semitic--have very little in common. With the exception of Chinese,
the languages which are apparently of a simpler or more primitive
formation have either a history which, compared with that of the
families mentioned, is very short, or, as in the case of the vast
majority, have no history beyond the time extending only over a few
years or, at most, a few centuries when they have been observed by
competent scholars of European origin. But, if we may judge by the
history of geology and other studies, it is well to be cautious in
assuming for the first stages of development forces which do not operate
in the later, unless we have direct evidence of their existence.

It is unnecessary here to enter into a prolonged discussion of the other
views christened by Max Muller, not without energetic protest from their
supporters, the bow-wow and pooh-pooh theories of language. Suffice it
to say that the former recognises as a source of language the imitation
of the sounds made by animals, the fall of bodies into water or on
to solid substances and the like, while the latter, also called the
interjectional theory, looks to the natural ejaculations produced by
particular forms of effort for the first beginnings of speech. It would
be futile to deny that some words in most languages come from
imitation, and that others, probably fewer in number, can be traced
to ejaculations. But if either of these sources alone or both in
combination gave rise to primitive speech, it clearly must have been a
simple form of language and very limited in amount. There is no reason
to think that it was otherwise. Presumably in its earliest stages
language only indicated the most elementary ideas, demands for food
or the gratification of other appetites, indications of danger, useful
animals and plants. Some of these, such as ani