Selected Writings of Edward Sapir in Language, Culture and Personality EDITED BY DAVID G. MANDELBAUM — Berkeley, Los Angeles, London UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS University of California Press Berkeley and Los Angeles, California University of California Press, Ltd. London, England Copyright, 1949, by The Regents of the University of California Sixth Printing, 1973 ISBN; 0-520-01115-5 Manufactured in the United States of America EDITOR’S INTRODUCTION scholars who are spoken of by their colleagues in terms of genius. ‘The papers velccted for this volume give only part of the reason fot that judgment, for there way an uncommon quality of the man himself which attcacted and stimulated—inspired may not be tao strong a word many of those who knew him. His (alents were manifest in muny fields, in none more byilliantly and effectively than in linguisties. Ie had a truly phenomenst knowl- edge of languages; linguists have commented that his command of the facts, of specific linguistic phenomena, was unsurpamed amoag linguis- tie gctenljats. Supiv begun hig linguistic studies in the field of Germanies while he was still an undergraduate. Early in hia graduate work he undertook the recording and snalysis of an American Indisa language, Takelms, and throughout his professions} eareer he carried on inten- sive work within the various families of American Indian languages. When w speaker of the West Afcican language Jubo (Chweubo) was found working in a Chieago bowling alley, Sapir availed himself of the opportunity 10 extend his linguistic knowledge of the African field, Tn Dee Sapm waa one of those rare men among scientists and later years, bis interesls turned again to problems in the Indo-European group and he found time to continue work on languages of the Sinitic and Semitic stocks as well. Tn all his work on these diverse tongues, Sapir showed x sure grasp of the basic form and the interlocking eloments of the structure of each language. ‘The Sanskrit scholar, Franklin Edgerton, has put it thus: “He seemed able to mect every one of us on our own grounds, to sec the minutia of many provinces as with » maguifying glass, and at thx same time effortlessly to survey the whole terrain.” And bis ability to view the whole scope of language extended beyond the sheerly formal agpocts of specch. Formal linguistic deseriptions and analyses were, for Sapir, only the beginning of the Jinguist’s task. For he understood ‘rhe reforeneca in this introduction, excopt where ot cbitaey notices written by the following oators snd fat ny order of Franklin Edyorton in Trax Boot of the Artricen Phllowopkical Society pp. 460-461; Brana Bou in Enternaflonal Journal of American Linguistica, 30: BE, Morris Siradest to Lenguaga, 3 (Und): 102-100, Rath Reaedct in Amerione “Anibropologiet At O98): Sof}, Diaorond Jones: i Pranscetons uf the Read Booiety of Canada, 83 (S990) 11-183; EA. Hopton tn Provoerhngn0f the marion eof Ate and Senza, 14) as ae aie in, Shenes, 60 UB): 8 (Taouin Hjctmalee in cla Linpuictiens 1 G99), TH Leslie opior in Aarn, 59" md B28, ee ” ” {¥] vi Fréroduction linguisties as & social science, and every language as one aspeel of a whole cultarc. In his writing and teaching he stressed the itoporiance of dealing with the phonomen: studying spoech jn its social setting, Supit’s fied work among American Tndiun trikes wus done primarily a collect data for linguistic study, but jt also furnished material for papers which dealt with the tribal cultures, In ethnology as in Enguis- ties, Supir bad a way of illumiouting an anay of facta} data, with felicitous theoretical insights. Some of his earlier writings in American Indian ethnology, particularly the Pime Perspective in Aboriginal American Culture, twwe become classies in that they are reud by mast sdents professionally interested in anthropology. As he developed his thinking conacening the processes of cultare growth, Supir came increasingly to deal-with fundamental problems of cullure theory. Tn @ number of the pupers written in his matte years, his insight into enlturea genorully is brought to bear on the problems of our culture. His examining of the outer fwets and inner forees of contempormy life was aceorapanicd by two developing interesis: one had to do with semantics, particulsely the semantics of Fnglish: the other, with the interplay between culture and personality. Hig writings jn the taster field especially have had important induence. The same veasitivity to nuances of language and custom, the same feeling for form which made Sapir so gifted a scholar, cnabled him to write postry. The extonsive list of his published poems which appears at the end of this volume is but one indication of Supir as se artist, for his aesthetic gilts shone through all his writing and his teaching, A linguist onec remarked thet, tor him, Sapir’s analysis of the Navaho word for com was un artistic masterpiece. And in less recondite fields as Well, Bapi’s works have savored of aesthetic as well as intellectual accomplishments, At one period, mainly during his yeurs at OHawa, he wus a frequent eonisibutor of musieal and literary criticiam to auch jonmuls as The Dial, The Nation, and The Musical Quarterly. An able pinnist himself, and one who had tried his hand st musieal composition, he was able to vite about a work of muse with on understanding which encompasved the variant meanings for composer, for performer, and for listener, Hiis literary critivism is marked by a sure depth and discernment, His seumen clove clean to the heart of a piewe of writing, nor would he be distracted by mew phrasingy or unfamiliar trappings, Thua he was one of the first to herald the influence which the poetry of Gerald Manley Hopkins was to have. itis critiques of scientific writing are Introduction vii no less Keen, and are equally appreciative of fresh approaches. Sapis's reviews of some of the early psychoanalytic writings taay still serve 40 sum up the anthropologist’: appraisal of the Freudian concepts. ‘His own scientific contsibutiuns, in every ficld of his endeavor, are marked by a freshness and an originality that bespoak the intellectual vigor and intuition that he possessed. ind he was eapable af documaent- ing his inwtitive insights with w broad control of factual data. Not all were so documented, for the flashes of hiy vision sometimes extended beyond the frontiers of fully controlled data. Henee some of hia writing, is progtwmmatie and pioneering rither than definitive, But alrays, even in his slighter papers, there is cognizance of basie form und fanda- meatal racanings, and not infrequently s reader has felt that Sepir has opened whole new vistus of knowledge for bir. Tt may_he too soon te assess the real impress of Sapir's work on the course of linguistics and anthropology, but a. number of his fellow schot- ars have attested the influence of his ideas. Jusl two such comments may be cited. One is hy his teacher, Franz Boas, who noted that, the strictures of the phonetic method and the gencrsl adoption of phonemic principles in the study of primitive languages are largely due to him. And treating of another field, Clyde Kluckhoka says that the tough insights which Sapie drew from psychiatry aot only forced » basic veeanstruction of anthropological postulates but led to new types of specifically pointed field work! Not a few of his colleagues and stu- dents ure still following through the research leads whieh Sapir first indicated to them. Sapir was bom in Lauenburg, Germany, on January 26, 1884, When he was five years old his parenis migrated to the United States, where his father, Jacob Sapir, carried _on his profession of cantor. Edward Sapin's abilities found early vecognition, for be won scholarships xt ‘Horace Mann School and then 9 four-yene Pulitaer fellowship to Colum- bia College, whore he was guuduuted in 1904, [le went on to do gradute work at Columbia and took a Master’s degree in Germanies. About shis time he eare to know Franz Bous and, ns Morris Swadesh has wrilten, came nwuy (rom a conference Wilh Boas impressed that he had every- thing to lear sbout Iangnage. For every generwizution he had before believed was certain und exceptionless, Roas could summon indubiteble contrary examples from American Tndian languages he knew. Sapir was stiered by the proapect of stadying living Innguages through the record ing and analysis of the dinleets of native speakers. Hence at the end of In One Hundred Years of American Payckiatry, 1. K, Hall, gen. ed. (Now York, 20849, p. 604 vi Introduction hig frst year of graduate work he went to the state of Washington to study the language of the Wishram Indians. Ta the following year he jourmeged to Gregan to work on the Takelma language, the gr: a which he presented as his doctoral dissertation. His first papers, pub- lished while be was in his early twenties, are no apprentice fumblings, but models of clarity and keen analysis. For a year, 1907-1908, he was tesewich assotiate in the Department of Anthropology at the University of California, and worked on the Ian- guage of the Yana Indians. Hie slay in Berkeley remained 1 favorite memory, a period of concentruted achievement and pleasant ascocia- tions, He then went to tbe University of Ponnsyivanin for two yeers, first _as follow and then as instructor. Th 1909 he wad awarded the Ph.D. by Columbia, The Mugcum of the University of Pennsylvania sponsored his field trips to the Ute Tadinns, und arranged to have a Paiute student, Tony ‘Tillebash, from the Tadian school ut Carlisle, work with Sapir in Philadelphia as linguistic informant. Although the Paiute materials did not receive full publigation until 1930, pupers based on them appeared carlier and formed significant sdvenves in the comparutive Americun Indian linguistics In 1910 he went to Ottawa as chief of the newly created Division of thropology inthe Geologieal_Survey_of_the Canadian National ‘Musewn, in the same year he ruuried Florence Delson, and his three children of this marriage, Michael, Helen, ond Philip, were born in Citaws. Sapir’s fifteen years in Canada, were somewhat dulled by iso- Intion from the men of science and geholanship with whom he ad most in common, but they did provide ample opportunity for field. work with Tndiun tribes, Tt wns during this period that he did his major work. with the Nootka. of Vancouver Island; he began hie long study of the Atha- pasean langusges with [he Sarcee of Alberta; ‘{lingit, Kutehia, and Ingulik were some of the other Inoguages of the Tadinns of Canada, that he recorded. In addition to bis intensive work with Canadii Indians, he found energy for several diverse projects. Wilh the secretary of Ube Chinese legation in Oltawa he worked oul a study of Chinese humor and folklore, He translated and trangoribed many Treuich- Canndinn folk, songs, some of which were published in a volume with the collaboration of Marius Barbeau, Ife gave a course on English Titerature before a local Ottawa society. Music and literaimre were his chief reluxation; the greater part of his poctry and musieal studies was done during this period. When a call to the University of Chicago came in 1925, he wae glad to accept. His wife had died shortly before, ufter a long illness, and he Introduction. ix jd became restless in Otlawa. And the post at Chicago at last gave ample scope for the oxercise of his talents. Ruth Benedict bas written thatthe position _at Chicago swas_one_he_was_niquely quatified adom, He attracted graduate sutdenis in Jinguisties whom he could ain in the rigorous methods he had developed, And students in ethnol- oxy were drawn to him as well. Ilis fold work was continued with trips to the Hupa and Navaho. He was in great demand to speak to groups of all kinds outside the university. Within two yenes of his urtival he was promoted to the tank of Professor of Anthropology and General Linguisties. Honors and recognition came in quick succession, and it has been said that at this period Sapir was easily one of the mast jn- flucntial figures in Americnn anthropology. Sapir's six years at Chicago were happy onos He maxried Jonn MeClenaghsn-in-1926-and- their firat-eon, Paul, was-horn there. Their second son, David, wus bora in New Haven, where Sapir had accepted a Sterling Professorship in Anthropology and Linguistics at Yale. ‘The call to Yale in 1931 was s most attractive one. The terms af the appointiaent were 30 favorable that Sapir was able at once to set up ‘one of the great centers of anthropological and Hingnistie: work in the in 1932-1033 he guthered a unique seminar of foreign students —holding scholarships trom the Rockefeller Foundation to atudy the — pact of culture om personality. His yeurs nb Yale were strenuous ones, Administrative duties and ontific responsibilities made demsnds on him while his adventurous inind was ranging ever farther into new Gelds and deeper into Lhose with which he was long familiar. A series of beart atfacks in 1937 and 1988 brought him under a doctor's regimen of quiet and a slower pace, bout his intellectual cnthusinsms would not he contained by the restraint, which his physical condition demanded. Ue died of the ailment on February 4, 1939, Tt is no difficult task to give the measure of the mam in terms of his official honors. His position at Yule, the honorary Doctor of Science degree which Columbia University awarded hint in 1920, his member- ship in the National Aewlemy of Seienoes, hiv election to the olfice of president of the American Anthropological Association und of the Linguistie Society of America—these and his other titles bear witness that high academic distinctions were bestowed on Faseurd Sapir, Tt is more difficult to indicate what Sapir meant to those who knew him and were his students. Listening to hien could be 2 Ineid adventure in the lield of idens; one came forth exhilarated, more than oneself, Diamond Jones, Sapi’s successor at Ottawa, relates how he onoe x Introduction saw Sapir enter hell filed with tumultuous children, “... and with aly thice scraps of puper, one white, une yellow, onc black, bold ther __spelthonnd for an hour while he discoumed, simply and clearly as only— 2 great scholar wn, on human rates and their differences ‘With his contemporaries, as Larnest Maoton haz noted, he tended to be shy. But as soon as he felt the social atmosphere to be congenial he unfolded all his unusual porsonal charm and became s most brilliant and fascinating companion, Alig students found in Sapir 9 sympathetic mentor and the kindliest of men, With him they could stand high nd see the subjects of their study from the panoranie view and ia an integrated, synthesizing manner. For their particular scientific problems, he was ever willing to give generously of Jus guidanet, Tf one of us was uble to present a striking new ides or fresh and valid evidence to revive an-old concept, he was ubvvays ready, even cager, to take it up and carry it forward, die had no vested intellectual interests. Sapir had a staunch belief in human rights whieh ted him to resent oppression and discrimination wherever they cecured. Tis attitude waa not only the observant and analytic one of the anthropologist whose training admits him los plice in the press box of the human arena; for, in his utter years especially, he felt that «place at, the ob. servation post doe not oseltdle one from a share in the setion on the field. He becurne inereasingly interesterl in Jewish affairs, lending his support tn the Yiddish Scicntilic Institute and participating iu the program of tho Conference for Jewish Relations Ta conversation be would occasionally tell how profoundly Judaism had affected his life. Duting childhood he had rebolled aguinut it. The interminible regulations, the blinding restrictions of orthadoxy seeroed ‘unnecessary, intolerable. But as he grow older be came more snd more to appreciate the yrand plan that lay henesth the irksome details, Toward the end of hia life he tamed to the cthnological and linguistic study of the ‘'almud, und in it he found both the delight of the punvuit, of scholarship and invigoration af spirit Only small bits of his extensive studies in Bomities were ever pub- lished. Indeed, the swift inclosing of hie illness and death deprived seience and scholarship of the results of a number of studies which he had carvied far along, Among his papers there wus left a large ollec- tion of notes on Tochariaa, an Indo-Muropean Ianguage once spoken in central Asin, Jenness notes that for many years Sapir had collected materiuls for a study which might indicate a possible relationship Debween ancient Sinilie forms and old forma of the American Indian Entroduction xi juaguages which he grouped under the nue Na-Dene. A magnificent qollectina of cthnological materials eoucerning the Nootka, Yana, and ‘Aupe is menti wy Leste Spier One of s major projeets left Uncompleted was « hook which had been tentatively titled The Pay- ology of Cultwe, an aniline for whieh had been submitted to bis publisher, It is fortunate that some of Sapir's associates have worked with and published parts af his notes, ae Hary Hojjer hus done with the Navaho linguistic materials, Morris Swadesh with the Nootka torts, and Leslie Spicr ith the Yana ethnological observations, Still moro are 40 be utilized far further publications. For all the musa of unpublished studies which Sapir loft, the list of his publications ix no inconsiderable one, Bul. it is, with » single ex: ception, in the form of monographs sud actieles, ITis one genet] book. ‘Tanpuage, Was published in 1921, and Jenness tella that it wae dictated in the spaeo of two months from u few hastily jotved notes. In after ‘years Gupiv would comment thas if he were to do it over, the book fronted eopiain new ideas and yome of its concepts would be revised and presented in quite a different way. Such, in fact, wos Sapir’s uttitade toward all his work, As his thinking developed, und new information or now principles required the revision of some of his earlier postulates od to at fuse vith advances in knowledge, Nonetheless the book vem: novahle contebution to linguistic science. Thus the Danish Gagnist Louis Hjclmstev lus written that, when he first read the work, it was to iim a vevelation and @ confirmation of his own vague anticipations of establishing a comparative general Hnguistios that would supersede the previous kind of approach. ‘the pi volume is intended to present, in nooessible form, these of Sepit’s writings which carry the gist af his thought. No passn; Trom Language bave been included since that. book is niore rend available than are most of the gourees in which the journal articles originally appeared. The phonctie orthography of the Tinguistic pap hag been reproduced us it, appeared in the original version of each ar ticle. ‘The editor is most grateful to the many colleagues and former students of Edward Supir who were consuked and who aided in the selection of these papers, but the responsibility for the selection is the editor's alone. Special thanks are due to Mis. Jean Supir, who gave the editor [ull lecway in the preparation of this volume, und to Philip Sapir, who-aided-in-many—wwayy. ‘he-general_bibliogmaphy_was originally prepured by Leslie Spier, and the poetry bibliography was onmpiled by Philip Sapir; both Tue heen slightly revisol und brought up to Introduction date by Mrs. Mary Anno Whipple, who also has been. most helpful in the preparation of the manuseript, On-th ss f iele-ond -pt-ineluded-in-thi volume thore is notation of the original publisher of the pices. Al appear with the permission of the original publishers; our thanks are extended to these publishers for their permissions. A few months before Sapir’s death, plans were made by his students to present bim a volume of studies written in his honor. Knowing that he was seriously ill, the group decided to tell him of the plans. [fe re- sponded with characteristic modesty, disclaiming any right to special honor, but expressing his plessure and the pride he felt in his studenta. ‘The volume appeared in 1941 under the title of Language, Culture, and Personality: Essay in Memory of Edward Sapir, and was cdited by Leslie Spier, A. Irving Hallowell, and Stanicy 3. Newman. Those ossays ave an indication of the eontinuing vitality of Sapir’s influence. An cminent psychiatrist once remarked chat Sapir wus an intoxicating mun, ‘Thut he was. And the stimulus of his life and work will continue to enliven many of bis students and associates for a Tong titne to eotne, Leslie Spier hus aptly noted that ne life can be long enough to we- complish the program Supir set for himself, buk we can only regret that_hi ‘L-w0-briel.-Yotfor-all-the-untimely-end_to-hi ‘ Tavurd Sapir made much of his times, his talents, his opportunities; se much, indeod, that many will subscribe to Eamest Hooton’s ehame- tutiaution of Sapir as one Whose rare fineness of perzmality and breadth and depth of understanding shed luster upon the very title “anthro- pologist.”” Dav G, Maypucp.us