Aids to Memory/Section II

Holy Scripture informs us that at one time "the whole earth was of one language and of one speech," and that the lofty ambition of man led to the "confusion" of tongues at present prevailing. "Let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech." There is, in all spoken languages, such an affinity in certain points as clearly shows their derivation from one common stock. The elementary sounds which are combined to produce words are the same, with slight modifications, in all languages. Of these sounds there are between forty and fifty, whatever may be the number of alphabetical characters used to represent them. Although we have only twenty-six letters in the English alphabet, and three of these—c, q, and x—are superfluous, there are a variety of independent sounds expressed by the union of two letters. These are th, ch, sh, au, oi, ou, &c. Besides these, many different sounds are expressed by the same letter. The Latin, French, Italian, and Spanish alphabets being identical with the English, and the German nearly so, the real difficulty to be overcome in acquiring these alphabets is the unfamiliar combinations of letters or sounds which present themselves. Of course, in the study of Greek, Hebrew, Sanscrit, &c., there is a further obstacle in the shape and sequence of the letters.

After a thorough acquaintance with the alphabet of a language, the most important step which the student can take is the acquisition of a plentiful stock of words. "But," it may be said, "the grammar is generally considered to be the first thing that ought to be learned." This implies no wish to discountenance the study of ​grammar, for it is a delightful one, and an indispensable adjunct to sound scholarship. We all remember an old recipe for cooking a hare which began with the words, "First catch your hare!" It is a pertinent question, "Did language exist before grammar, or grammar before language?" The object of grammar is to explain language, not to teach it. First get your language; then the grammar will be really useful, because it will give reasons for what you already know to be correct. There are many popular mistakes on the subject of language, and this one of putting a grammar-book first is one of the most mischievous. Thousands of youths at school—and also ladies and gentlemen out of school—have plodded through a foreign grammar a dozen times or more, and yet cannot read an elementary book, or carry on a simple conversation in the language.

Permit us to ask, how we learned to speak, read, and write our own tongue? In the first place, words were acquired through the sense of hearing, and correct speech through the faculty of imitation. We could understand others, and make ourselves understood—speaking at the same time with propriety—before we even knew what "grammar" meant. This, of course, supposes that our parents and intimate acquaintances spoke properly; for, if they did not, our defects of pronunciation and syntax were unaffected by the recitation of Lindley Murray to our schoolmaster. Example, imitation, and habit were the influences which moulded our daily conversation, whether for good or evil. Then we read books and wrote letters; and if we did so with earnestness and attention, our knowledge of the language became improved, extended, and surely fixed. We therefore know, that what is constantly heard by the ear, seen by the eye, and written by the hand, makes a lasting impression on the mind. Conversation, reading, and composition are thus the true means of learning perfectly, not only our own but any language. Until ​the student can read with facility an elementary book, or—if a modern language—carry on a simple conversation, our advice to him is either to let the grammar alone altogether, or to pick out from it all the words he can find to increase his vocabulary. The latter may include the conjugations and declensions of the parts of speech. In the previous section, we referred to the power of association in the case of a child learning the names of familiar objects. As already stated, the elementary sounds in all languages are essentially the same. Now an English child sees the article which in his own tongue is called a chair. He hears it called a chair, and by that name it is of course known to him. A French child sees the same object, but it is called chaise, not chair. The combination of sound contained in the latter word also exists in English, but has not the same meaning. Therefore, if both children heard simultaneously the word chaise, it would convey a distinct impression to each of their minds, but not the same impression. One would understand a "seat," the other a carriage." The exact sound of chair does not occur in French, but that of share does in the word cher. Let them both hear this word; to one it signifies a "portion," and to the other "dear." Thus the same combinations enter into words having totally diverse meanings, according to the language of which they form part.

If a student desire to learn a foreign vocabulary, his ordinary plan is to repeat the unknown word with the English meaning until he knows it. If he have a list of two or three hundred words to commit to memory, this method is, to say the least, tedious and uncertain. It would not be easy to learn by repetition the same number of familiar ideas, arranged as Exercises 1 and 2. Much more, then, is the difficulty increased, when one column consists of words he knows nothing about. The assertion may cause surprise, that by means of the natural affinity of words just pointed out, and ​by the process called assimilation, or making similar, from one to two hundred foreign words per hour may be acquired. As Latin and French are the two languages most frequently studied, let us select from them a few examples, although the assimilative principle is equally applicable to others: The first six words of the following exercise are Latin, the remaining six French.

The first Latin word in the exercise is rana. It is an unfamiliar idea. We know nothing about it, and it makes no impression save that of sound. That impression must, however, be connected with the word frog. So we assimilate it to an English word of identical sound which we know a great deal about, and which will readily blend with frog. The first three sounds of the word are found in the same order in our word rain. Nothing is now easier than to associate on the principle of the first exercise. "A frog caught in the rain" is the idea pictured, and whenever we meet with the word "rana," we immediately know its signification. The first syllable of saxum suggests sacks, filled up with fragments of a rock. The whole word la is the same as nicks, and these have been observed in the snow.

​The assimilation for mel may be mellow. Here we notice that the English word contains more sounds than the Latin; but this is immaterial. If no exact affinity of sound can be traced, the nearest approximation will suffice. Thus the word meal would have done as well, the consonant sounds being identical. Either of the words is adapted for association, as mellow honey, or a meal of honey. Fundus suggests funds, which are necessary to the administration of any estate. Canis suggests cane, which was vigorously laid about the intruding dog. The first French word is bague, which is precisely the same as bag. We suppose this to have been used to secrete a ring. Porte suggests a porter standing at the door; and laitue the fact that the lettuce this season is very late. A mason engaged in decorating the house, the pang or pain suffered by those in want of bread, and the rake accommodated with a resting-place against the scraper, complete the series of ideal pictures which have indelibly fixed our little vocabulary in the memory. Study attentively the remarks on these words, and the greatest difficulty will be to forget them, and not, as is usually the case, to keep them in mind.

A great proportion of English words are derived from Latin and French, and the analogy between English and German is also very great. When, therefore, we perceive that the foreign and English word are synonymous, or nearly so, no association besides the natural one will be requisite. Diligent comparison will be the best "aid to memory" in all cases of undoubted derivation. Thus, we should remember pater, mater, and frater, by means of the English words paternal, maternal, and fraternal. Soror has no similar word, therefore the assimilation might be sorrow, the latter having been felt by the sister.

It may be objected that the student of several languages would be required to keep in his head so many different associations connected with the same word, that he would be in danger of confusing them. ​Not in the least. If he were, the objection would apply with still greater force to the ordinary process of study. The genius of a language is insensibly acquired by reading, and the words will soon become fixed in our memories without reference to the assimilations with which their original unfamiliarity was destroyed.

An additional exercise is now given, with appropriate assimilations, from which the reader can form associations for himself. As before, six words are selected from each language.

Procure, if possible, a literal and word-for-word translation of some book in the language you wish to acquire. Read a page or two after previously committing to memory the unknown words contained in that portion. Translate first of all literally, and then into correct English. The second translation should be written down, and then, without looking at the book, read at sight into the foreign tongue, or re-translated and compared with the original. This method is an infallible one, and, moreover, can be pursued without a master after the pronunciation has been acquired. More, in fact, may be accomplished by it in a few months than by illogical study in the same number of years.