The 121 Original Concepts.

1. Dig.2. Plait, weave, sew, bind.3. Crush, pound, destroy, waste, rub, smoothe.4. Sharpen.5. Smear, colour, knead, harden.6. Scratch.7. Bite, eat.8. Divide, share, eat.9. Cut.10. Gather, observe.11. Stretch, spread.12. Mix.13. Scatter, strew.14. Sprinkle, drip, wet.15a. Shake, tremble, quiver, flicker.15b. Shake mentally, be angry, abashed, fearful, etc.16. Throw down, fall.17. Fall to pieces.18. Shoot, throw at.19. Pierce, split.20. Join, fight, check.21. Tear.22. Break, smash.23. Measure.24. Blow.25. Kindle.26. Milk, yield.27. Pour, flow, rush.28. Separate, free, leave, lack.29. Glean.30. Choose.31. Cook, roast, boil.32. Clean.33. Wash.34. Bend, bow.35. Turn, roll.36. Press, fix.37. Squeeze.38. Drive, thrust.39. Push, stir, live.40. Burst, gush, laugh, beam.41. Dress.42. Adorn.43. Strip, remove.44. Steal.45. Check.46. Fill, thrive, swell, grow strong.47. Cross.48. Sweeten.49. Shorten.50. Thin, suffer.51. Fat, stick, love.52. Lick.53. Suck, nourish.54. Drink, swell.55. Swallow, sip.56. Vomit.57. Chew, eat.58. Open, extend.59. Reach, strive, rule, have.60. Conquer, take by violence, struggle.61. Perform, succeed.62. Attack, hurt.63. Hide, dive.64. Cover, embrace.65. Bear, carry.66. Can, be strong.67. Show.68. Touch.69. Strike.70. Ask.71. Watch, observe.72. Lead.73. Set.74. Hold, wield.75. Give, yield.76. Couch.77. Thirst, dry.78. Hunger.79. Yawn.80. Spue.81. Fly.82. Sleep.83. Bristle, dare.84. Be angry, harsh.85. Breathe.86. Speak.87. See.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.

This classification of the roots is purely tentative. Ithas been difficult to ascertain what is most likely to have been the original meaning of some; there are certain words of which it is almost impossible to find the etymology. The order in which the concepts succeed each other is not very systematic. Max Müller tried to classify them more correctly by keeping the special acts, such as to dig, the general acts, such as to find, the special states, such as to cough, and the general states, such as to stand—together. But it was impossible to adhere strictly to such a plan, because there are roots which express both acts and states; while in many cases it is difficult to determine whether the special or general meaning predominates; thus there are the words to boil, to make boil, or to be boiling. Some of the roots have closely allied meanings, so that there are as many as fifteen connected with the concepts to burn, and to speak; and many more which can be traced to shine.

We experience feelings at once humbling and elevating when we consider that all we admire, all on which we pride ourselves, our thoughts, whether poetical, philosophical, religious, our whole literature, all our dictionaries, whether scientific or industrial; in fact, our whole intellectual life is built upon this small number of mother-ideas, of 121 concepts. We should feel neither humbled nor elevated; we are making use of the wisdom of our ancestors. It is our duty to transmit the legacy to our descendants which they gave us, but purged from alloy.

Three chief points are to be noted, when we are concerned with the progress of the intellect:—

1. The creative activity of humanity is the basis of all the roots of words.

2. The source of all abstract ideas lies in acts which are entirely material.

3. It has been satisfactorily proved that we speak the language derived from that spoken by our primitive ancestors. It was the custom of Nebuchadnezzar to havehis name stamped on every brick that was used during his reign in erecting his colossal palaces. Those palaces fell to ruins, but from the ruins the ancient materials were carried away for building new cities; and on examining the bricks in the walls of the modern city of Bagdad, travellers have discovered on every one the clear traces of that royal signature. Our modern languages were built up with the materials taken from the ruins of the ancient languages, and every word that we pronounce displays the royal stamp impressed upon it by the founders. The formation of those derived languages, by means of the roots with their successive change of meaning, the construction of their grammatical forms, the continued changes amongst the different dialects, all indicate the presence of a germ in man tending from the first to make him a reasoning being.

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