¹ For a clear exposition of this method, see J. W. Young, Lectures on the Fundamental Concepts of Algebra and Geometry, New York 1911.

² Cf. A. P. Weiss's set of postulates for psychology, Psychological Review. 32. 83.

³ Examples are many. Bopp took for granted that the formative elements of Indo-European were once independent words; this is a needless and unwarranted assumption. The last descendant of his error is the assumption that IE compound words are historically derived from phrases (Jacobi, Compositum und Nebensatz, Bonn 1897; this even in Brugmann, Grundrisz II², 1, pp. 37. 78; cf. TAPA 45. 73 ff.). The notion is gaining ground that some forms have less meaning than others and are therefore more subject to phonetic change (Horn, Sprachkörper und Sprachfunktion, Palaestra 135, Berlin 1921); I, for one, can discover no workable definition of the terms ‘meaning’ and ‘phonetic change’ under which this notion can be upheld. The whole dispute, perhaps today as unstilled as fifty years ago, about the regularity of phonetic change, is at bottom a question of terminology.

⁴ Recall the difficulties and obscurities in the writings of Humboldt and Steinthal, and the psychological dispute of Paul, Wundt, Delbrueck. From our point of view, the last-named was wrong in denying the value of descriptive data, but right in saying that it is indifferent what system of psychology a linguist believes in (Grundfragen der Sprachforschung, Strassburg 1901). The trouble over the nature of the sentence is largely non-linguistic; contrast the simplicity and usefulness of Meillet's definition (adopted below), Introduction à l'étude comparative des langues indo-européennes,³ Paris 1912, p. 339. I am indebted also to Sapir's book on Language, New York 1921, and to de Saussure's Cours de linguistique générale,² Paris 1922; both authors take steps toward a delimitation of linguistics.

⁵ Cf. Weiss, 1. c., p. 86: ‘The language responses establish the …. social type of organization ….‘

⁶ Cf. Weiss, Journal of Philosophy, Psychology and Scientific Methods 15. 636: ‘The significant thing about the speech reaction is that it may be either the adequate reaction to a situation, or it may be the adequate stimulus for either another speech reaction or some bodily reaction.‘

⁷ Assumptions H5 and H7 try to embody the results of Jespersen's Progress in Language, New York 1894.

⁸ The word ‘intensive’ is meant merely to describe the meaning of home in its new use (intensive of house), and is not meant as a technical term. Cf. also Kroesch, Language 2. 35-45(1926).