3. _The Chinese method._--The Chinese method agrees with the English in expressing the different conditions and relations of actions and objects by separate words rather than by inflections; and it carries this principle so far as to have even a less amount of inflection; according to some writers, none at all. Wherein, then, does it differ? Even thus. The English is non-inflectional because it has lost inflections which it once possessed. The Chinese is non-inflectional because inflections have never been developed. This involves a great difference between the nature of the words which, in the two languages (English and Chinese) do the work of the Greek and Latin inflections. In English they are, generally speaking, so abstract, as to have a meaning only when in the context with other words. In Chinese they are often the names of objects and actions, _i.e._ nouns and verbs. If, instead of saying, _I go_ to _London_, _figs come_ from _Turkey_, _the sun shines_ through _the air_, we said, _I go_, end _London_, _figs come_, origin _Turkey_, _the sun shines_, passage _air_, we should discourse after the manner of the Chinese.
But what if the inflectional parts of inflected words (nouns and verbs) were once separate words, which have since been incorporated with the radical term? In such a case, the difference between languages of the Chinese, and languages of the classical type would be a difference of degree only. Nay more, in languages like the Chinese the separate words most in use to express relation may become adjuncts or annexes. In this case, inflection is developed out of mere juxtaposition, and composition. Is this a hypothesis or a real fact? It is thus much of a fact. The numerous inflectional languages fall into two classes. In one the inflections have no appearance of having been separate words. In the other their origin as separate words is demonstrable.
The nomenclature arising from these distinctions, and requiring notice in the present preliminary remarks, is as follows:--
1. _Languages of the Chinese type._--Aptotic.[6]
2. _Inflection which can generally be shown to have arisen out of the juxtaposition and composition of different words._--Agglutinate.--Here the incorporation has not been sufficiently complete to wholly disguise the originally independent and separate character of the inflectional addition.