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# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 185, page id 778263916:0201
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C II A P.
Of Nords or Languare in general.
OD havino deligned Man for a Lociable Creature, made
him not onlr rith an inclination, and under a necessiey
tohare Fellonchip ich thole of his onkind; but furni-
Med him also with Languase, Wrhich was tobe the great
Instrumene, ald common Freot Socieer. Man therelore had by Nature
his Organs (o fathioned, as to De fit 1o frame articulate Sounds, Wtrick We
call Words. But chistras not enoush to produce Languase; for P’ar-
rots, and several other Birds, Will be caustu to malie articulate Sounds
distinet enoush, Whuch yet, by no means, are capableotLanguagc.
9. 2. Belides articulate Sounds theretore, it ivas Farther necessarr, thac
he Tould De able co use these Sounds, as siens of internal Conceptions; and
1o make them Cand as martes For the Ideas ithin his omn Mind, Where.
br they mighe bemade bnomn to octiers, and the Thousties oF Meris
Minds be convered trom one to another.
5. 3. Bat neither was this sufficiene to makse Words (0 usesul as thev
oughetobe. Itis not enoushtor the persection ol Lansuase, that Sounds
can be made signs of Ldeas, unless those siens can be (0 made ule OF, 25 10
comprehend several particular Things: Por the multiplication of Words
aould have perplexed theirOse, had every particular thine necd ot a di-
Pinet name to be lignitied by.
9. 4. Nords then are madeto be ligns ot our Ideas, and are general or
particular, as the Ideas they stand for are general or particular. But De-
Sides chese Names Which Cand For Ideas, there be others irhich Men havo
Found and makce use OF, not ro lignifie any Idea, but the rant or ablerice
OF LOme Ldeas, Simple or complex, or alI Ideas together; Such as are tho
Latin rords, Nihil, and in Pnelimtr, Tenorance and Barrenness. AII Wvhich
recarire ox privatire Words, cannot De said property to velons tO, Or
Tionite no Fdeas: For then they rould be pertectir insignificant Sounds;
Dut cherrelate to volitire Ideas, and lisnitie their ablence.
5. 5. TEmas also lead us a litele comards rhe Original oF alI our Nori-
ons and Rnowledee, il we remark, horr great a dependence our Words
have on common senlible ideas; and how thole wrhrich are made use
ot rostand for Actions and Norions quire removed trom sense, have their
Oririnal, and are transterred from obvious sensible Ideas; V. c. t0 Imacine,
Apprebend, Comprehend, Adbere, Concerve, Instill, Diseust, Disturbance,
Tranguilliey, ec. are aH Words taten trom the Operations of sensible
Thinss, and applicd to certain Modes ol Thinkins. Spirit, in its pri
mary sionification, is Breath; Angel, a Messenger: And L donDe nOE, BUF
il e could trace them ro cheir Orisinals, we Mhould Aind, in all Lanoua-
Bes, thenames, Which Ctand tor Thines rhat fall not under our Senles,