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188
The Speech of Monkeys
·
R. L. Garner
144
If
human
speech
were
composed
of
none
but
vowel
sounds
the
human
voice
could
scarcely
utter
them
in
a
continued
conversation;
their
monotony
would
not
so
much
offend
the
ear
as
it
would
try
the
vocal
powers,
and
man
would
soon
acquire
consonants
to
aid
the
voice
if
for
no
other
use.
[Sidenote:
DOUBLE
AND
TREBLE
CONSONANTS]
Among
the
Simians
the
better
types
of
speech
show
this
tendency,
and
in
the
lower
types
of
human
speech
we
find
all
the
vowel
elements,
while
consonants
are
not
by
any
means
so
numerous.
Another
fact
is
this,
among
the
lower
races
of
mankind
double
consonants
are
rare,
and
treble
more
so.
Of
course
their
tongues
consist
of
fewer
words,
as
has
been
shown
before,
which
paucity
arises
from
their
few
wants
and
simple
modes
of
life,
and
hence
the
scope
of
vocal
growth
is
much
contracted.
Beginning
with
the
lowest
tribes
of
men,
we
find
the
consonants
increase
in
number
and
complexity
as
we
ascend
the
scale
of
speech.
To
this,
perhaps,
is
due
the
fact
that
the
Negroes
now
found
in
the
United
States
after
a
sojourn
of
two
hundred
years
with
the
white
race
on
this
continent
are
unable
to
utter
the
sounds
of
"th"
"thr,"
and
other
double
consonants.
The
former
of
these
they
pronounce
"d"
if
breathing,
and
"t"
if
aspirate.
The
latter
they
pronounce
like
"trw"
or
"tww."
The
sound
of
"v"
they
usually
pronounce
"b,"
while
"r"
resembles
"w"
or
"rw"
when
initial,
but
as
a
final
sound
is
usually
suppressed.
They
have
a
marked
tendency
to
omit
auxiliary
and
final
sounds,
and
in
all
departures
from
the
higher
types
of
speech
tend
back
to
ancestral
forms.
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