This is the general opinion respecting the origin of the diversity of Languages; but it is not an uncontroverted doctrine. Dr. Priestley[1] has argued upon this point in the following manner:—
"The present diversity of language is generally believed to have taken its rise from the building of Babel, and to have been brought about by the interposition of the Divine Being; but it is no impiety to suppose, that this (agreeable to most other operations of the Deity) might have been brought about by natural means. The possibility of this natural deviation seems to be deduced from the following considerations.
"First. The primitive language, or that which was spoken by the first family of the human race, must have been very scanty, and insufficient for the purposes of their descendants, in their growing acquaintance with the world.
"Secondly. Not being fixed by the practice of writing, it would be very liable to variation.
"Thirdly. Supposing the primitive language to have had few inflections, (because few would have been sufficient,) it would easily admit any inflections, which chance or design might sug-
- ↑ Lecture on the Theory of Language, p. 287, and seq.
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