RECORD: Darwin, C. R. n.d. Infants (like dogs) at the age of 10-11 months understand a vast range of words. CUL-DAR87.81. Edited by John van Wyhe (Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Christine Chua and edited by John van Wyhe 3.2022. RN1
NOTE: See record in the Darwin Online manuscript catalogue, enter its Identifier here. Reproduced with permission of the Syndics of Cambridge University Library and William Huxley Darwin. The volumes CUL-DAR 87-90 contain material for Darwin's book Descent of man 2d ed. (1874-1877).
Darwin cited this in Descent 2d ed., p. 85.
[81]
Infants (like dogs) at the age of 10-11 months understand a vast number of words & short sentences before they can utter a word - It seems to me incredible that they shd be able to connect in their minds any arbitrary sound with a concept, unless the concept was first in their mind. A child has a concept of food, for instance & often connects some sound to express all he wants or accepting one suggested to him.
[81v]
The danger signals uttered by animals are not solely indication of what purpose in their own minds, but are manifestly sound for the good of their comrades & are so well understood that some other species takes advantage of the signal. In the case of the fowl, the noise produced indicates whether the danger approaches from hawks above or from some foe on the ground.
Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
File last updated 25 September, 2022