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3 - Language

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2012

W. Tecumseh Fitch
Affiliation:
Universität Wien, Austria
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Summary

On a fine spring afternoon in 1828, a shoemaker in the German town of Nuremberg encountered a strange sight: a young man waddling down the street with his arms outstretched, squinting and yelling incomprehensibly. When asked to explain himself, he stared uncomprehendingly, and only repeated his name – Kaspar Hauser – and the phrase “I want to be a horseman like my father.” He vomited when fed anything other than bread or water, but was taken in by a kindly scholar, Georg Daumer, in the town. Kaspar Hauser's saviors quickly learned that, despite his lack of knowledge of German or any other language, and a total inability to clothe or feed himself, Hauser was perceptive and intelligent, and a remarkably fast learner. Over the several years that Hauser lived with Daumer, he acquired a considerable vocabulary, some basic syntax, and the ability to read and write – enough to write a crude autobiography – along with the basic skills necessary to survive in normal society. As Hauser's language abilities grew, the horrible story of his life became clear in outline. From a young age, for as long as he could remember, Kaspar Hauser had been kept in a dark dungeon, with absolutely no social contact. His entire existence was confined to a windowless room with an earthen floor and a few wooden toys, with no verbal or physical contact with other humans.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2010

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  • Language
  • W. Tecumseh Fitch, Universität Wien, Austria
  • Book: The Evolution of Language
  • Online publication: 05 June 2012
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511817779.004
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  • Language
  • W. Tecumseh Fitch, Universität Wien, Austria
  • Book: The Evolution of Language
  • Online publication: 05 June 2012
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511817779.004
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Language
  • W. Tecumseh Fitch, Universität Wien, Austria
  • Book: The Evolution of Language
  • Online publication: 05 June 2012
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511817779.004
Available formats
×