The Child and Childhood in Folk-Thought / Studies of the Activities and Influences of the Child Among Primitive Peoples, Their Analogues and Survivals in the Civilization of To-Day

by Alexander Francis Chamberlain

In French we have: (1) L'origine ne se désoriginalisera jamais de son originalité; (2) A la santé de celle, qui tient la sentinelle devant la citadelle de votre coeur! (3) Car Didon dina, dit-on, Du dos d'un dodu dindon.

In Polish: (1) Bydlo bylo, bydlo bedzie (It was cattle, it remains cattle); (2) Podawala baba babie przez piec malowane grabie (A woman handed the woman over the stove a painted rake); (3) Chrzaszcz brzmi w trzinie (The beetle buzzes in the pipe). Latin and Greek are also made use of for similar purpose. Treichel cites, among other passages, the following: (1) Quamuis sint sub aqua, sub aqua maledicere tentant (Ovid, Metam. VI. 376); (2) At tuba terribili sonitu taratantara dixit (Virgil, Aen. IX. 503); (3) Quadrupedante putrem sonitu quatit ungula campum (Virgil, Aen. VIII. 596); (4) [Greek: Aytis epeita pedonde kylindeto lâas anchidaês] (Homer, Odyss. II. 598); (5) [Greek: Trichthà te kaì tétrachthà diéschesen ìs ánémoio] (Homer, Odyss. IX. 71, II. III. 363); (6) [Greek: 'O mákar 'Adreídae moiraegenès ólbiodaímon] (Homer, Il. III. 182). These customs are not confined, however, to the civilized nations of Europe. Dr. Pechuel-Loesche tells us that, among the negroes of the Loango coast of Africa, the mother teaches the child little verses, just as illogical as the test-sentences often are which are employed in other parts of the world, and containing intentionally difficult arrangements of words. The child whose skilful tongue can repeat these without stumbling, is shown to visitors and is the cause of much admiration and merriment. And this exhibition of the child's linguistic and mnemonic powers finds vogue among other races than those of the dark continent (373. 125).

Alphabet-Rhymes.

A very curious development of child-linguistics is seen in the so-called ABC Rhymes. H. A. Carstensen reports from Risummoor in Low Germany the following arrangement and interpretation of the letters of the alphabet (199. 55):—

A—Aewel B—baeget C(K)—Kaege
A—Abel B—bakes C(K)—cakes.

D—Detlef E—ët F—fåle.
D—Detlef E—eats F—much.

G—Grutte H—Hans J—jaeget K—Kraege.
G—Great H—Jack J—hunts K—crows.

L—Lotte M—maeget N—noerne.
L—Lütje M—makes N—names.

O—Okke P—plökket Q—Kuerde.
O—Okke P—makes Q—wool-cards.

R—Rikkert S—sâit T—tuffle.
R—Richard S—sews T—slippers