The Principles of Sociology Volume 6 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1893 edition. Excerpt: ... APPENDIX 0. THB LINGUISTIC METHOD OF THB MYTHOLOGISTS. Already in 188, I have given an example of myth-interpretation carried on after the enrrent manner: the instance being the myth of Sarania, which, on the strength of the alleged derivation of the word, one mythologist regards as a figurative account of the dawn, and another as a figurative account of the storm. This conflict seems typical rather than exceptional. Concerning the true renderings of these early words, philologists are often at issue; and no wonder, considering that according to Prof. Max Muller, Sanskrit is "a language which expressed the bright and the divine, the brilliant and the beautiful, the straight and the right, the bull and tho hero, the shepherd and the king, by the same terms." (Rig-Veda, i, 121.) Examples of the resulting confusion are continually thrust on the attention even of outsiders. The Academy for January 17th, 1885, contains a letter in which, speaking patronizingly of Mr. Dwijender Nath Tagore, a young Hindoo philologist, Prof. Max Muller quotes some passages ahowing that they are at issue concerning "the original meaning Pmeanings] of Matri, 'mother', Bhratrt, 'brother', and Svasri, 'sister'." Here are passages showing the disagreement. "Mai Muller says that the meaning of the word MAtri is Maker (nirnnUri); wo say that its meaning is measurer (purimat/i). . . . Prof. Mai Muller says that tho primary meaning of bhratrt is one who bears a burden, but we ay it it bhugin, or sharer," etc., etc. In the same number of the Academy is a letter from Mr. Rhys, Professor of Celtic at Oxford, in which, after quoting Dr. Isaac Taylor's question--" Does anyone doubt that Odin is the wind?' he says--" My impulso would have been just as..."