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17
The tongue is placed under the vaulted roof of the mouth. In land animals it
presents but little diversity. But in other animals it is variable, and this
whethe+r we compare them as a class with such as live on land, or compare
their several species with each other. It is in man that the tongue attains its
greatest degree of freedom, of softness, and of breadth; the object of this
being to render it suitable for its double function. For its softness fits it for the
perception of savours, a sense which is more delicate in man than in any other
animal, softness being most impressionable by touch, of which sense taste is
but a variety. This same softness again, together with its breadth, adapts it for
the articulation of letters and for speech. For these qualities, combined with
its freedom from attachment, are those which suit it best for advancing and
retiring in every direction. That this is so is plain, if we consider the case of
those who are tongue-tied in however slight a degree. For their speech is
indistinct and lisping; that is to say there are certain letters which they cannot
pronounce. In being broad is comprised the possibility of becoming narrow;
for in the great the small is included, but not the great in the small.
What has been said explains why, among birds, those that are most capable
of pronouncing letters are such as have the broadest tongues; and why the
viviparous and sanguineous quadrupeds, where the tongue is hard and thick
and not free in its motions, have a very limited vocal articulation. Some birds
have a considerable variety of notes. These are the smaller kinds. But it is the
birds with talons that have the broader tongues. All birds use their tongues to
communicate with each other. But some do this in a greater degree than the
rest; so that in some cases it even seems as though actual instruction were
imparted from one to another by its agency. These, however, are matters
which have already been discussed in the Researches concerning Animals.
As to those oviparous and sanguineous animals that live not in the air but
on the earth, their tongue in most cases is tied down and hard, and is therefore
useless for vocal purposes; in the serpents, however, and in the lizards it is
long and forked, so as to be suited for the perception of savours. So long
indeed is this part in serpents, that though small while in the mouth it can be
protruded to a great distance. In these animals it is forked and has a fine and
hair-like extremity, because of their great liking for dainty food. For by this
arrangement they derive a twofold pleasure from savours, their gustatory
sensation being as it were doubled.
Even some bloodless animals have an organ that serves for the perception
of savours; and in sanguineous animals such an organ is invariably variably
For even in such of these as would seem to an ordinary observer to have
1278
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Buch The Complete Aristotle"
The Complete Aristotle
- Titel
- The Complete Aristotle
- Autor
- Aristotle
- Datum
- ~322 B.C.
- Sprache
- englisch
- Lizenz
- PD
- Abmessungen
- 21.0 x 29.7 cm
- Seiten
- 2328
- Schlagwörter
- Philosophy, Antique, Philosophie, Antike, Dialogues, Metaphysik, Metaphysics, Ideologie, Ideology, Englisch
- Kategorien
- Geisteswissenschaften
- International
Inhaltsverzeichnis
- Part 1; Logic (Organon) 3
- Categories 4
- On Interpretation 34
- Prior Analytics, Book I 56
- Prior Analytics, Book II 113
- Posterior Analytics, Book I 149
- Posterior Analytics, Book II 193
- Topics, Book I 218
- Topics, Book II 221
- Topics, Book III 237
- Topics, Book IV 248
- Topics, Book V 266
- Topics, Book VI 291
- Topics, Book VII 317
- Topics, Book VIII 326
- On Sophistical Refutations 348
- Part 2; Universal Physics 396
- Physics, Book I 397
- Physics, Book II 415
- Physics, Book III 432
- Physics, Book IV 449
- Physics, Book V 481
- Physics, Book VI 496
- Physics, Book VII 519
- Physics, Book VIII 533
- On the Heavens, Book I 570
- On the Heavens, Book II 599
- On the Heavens, Book III 624
- On the Heavens, Book IV 640
- On Generation and Corruption, Book I 651
- On Generation and Corruption, Book II 685
- Meteorology, Book I 707
- Meteorology, Book II 733
- Meteorology, Book III 760
- Meteorology, Book IV 773
- Part 3; Human Physics 795
- On the Soul, Book I 796
- On the Soul, Book II 815
- On the Soul, Book III 840
- On Sense and the Sensible 861
- On Memory and Reminiscence 889
- On Sleep and Sleeplessness 899
- On Dreams 909
- On Prophesying by Dreams 918
- On Longevity and the Shortness of Life 923
- On Youth, Old Age, Life and Death, and Respiration 929
- Part 4; Animal Physics 952
- The History of Animals, Book I 953
- The History of Animals, Book II translated 977
- The History of Animals, Book III 1000
- The History of Animals, Book IV 1029
- The History of Animals, Book V 1056
- The History of Animals, Book VI 1094
- The History of Animals, Book VII 1135
- The History of Animals, Book VIII 1150
- The History of Animals, Book IX 1186
- On the Parts of Animals, Book I 1234
- On the Parts of Animals, Book II 1249
- On the Parts of Animals, Book III 1281
- On the Parts of Animals, Book IV 1311
- On the Motion of Animals 1351
- On the Gait of Animals 1363
- On the Generation of Animals, Book I 1381
- On the Generation of Animals, Book II 1412
- On the Generation of Animals, Book III 1444
- On the Generation of Animals, Book IV 1469
- On the Generation of Animals, Book V 1496
- Part 5; Metaphysics 1516
- Part 6; Ethics and Politics 1748
- Nicomachean Ethics, Book I 1749
- Nicomachean Ethics, Book II 1766
- Nicomachean Ethics, Book III 1779
- Nicomachean Ethics, Book IV 1799
- Nicomachean Ethics, Book V 1817
- Nicomachean Ethics, Book VI 1836
- Nicomachean Ethics, Book VII 1851
- Nicomachean Ethics, Book VIII 1872
- Nicomachean Ethics, Book IX 1890
- Nicomachean Ethics, Book X 1907
- Politics, Book I 1925
- Politics, Book II 1943
- Politics, Book III 1970
- Politics, Book IV 1997
- Politics, Book V 2023
- Politics, Book VI 2053
- Politics, Book VII 2065
- Politics, Book VIII 2091
- The Athenian Constitution 2102
- Part 7; Aesthetic Writings 2156