The Principles of Sociology - copertina rigida, flessible

Book may have numerous typos, missing text, images, or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1906. Excerpt: ... APPENDIX C. THE LINGUISTIC METHOD OF THE MYTHOLOGISTS. Already in § 188, I have given an example of myth-interpretation carried on after the current manner: the instancebeing the myth of Sarama, 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 Miiller, Sanskrit is "a language which expressed the bright and the divine, the brilliant and the beautiful, the straight and the right, the bull and the hero, the shepherd and the king, by the same terms." (Riff - 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 Miiller quotes some passages showing that they are at issue concerning " the original meaning [? meanings] of M&trt,'mother', Bhratri, 'brother', and Svasn',. 'sister'." Here are passages showing the disagreement. "Max Miiller gays that the meaning of the word Mfttri U Mater (nirmitri): we say that its meaning is measurer (parimatrt), .... Prof. Max Mullef says that the primary meaning of bhratri is one who bears a burden, bat we say it is bhagin, 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 J" he says--" My impulse would have been just as confidently to ask, Does anyone still think that Odin i...