e phenomenon of Incorporation, in some of its forms, is
markedly present in the vast majority, if not in all, American tongues.
That which has been called "polysynthesis" is one of these forms. This
is nothing more than a familiar, nigh universal, grammatic process
carried to an extreme degree. It is the _dvanda_ of the Sanscrit
grammarians, an excellent study of which has recently appeared from the
pen of Dr. H. C. Mueller.[6-1] In its higher forms Incorporation
subordinates the nominal concepts of the phrase to those of time and
relation, which are essentially verbal, and this often where the true
verbal concept, that of abstract action, is lacking, and the verb itself
is in reality a noun in the possessive relation.[6-2][TN-1]

Even extremely simple American languages, such as the Zoque, display the
tendency to energetic synthesis;[6-3] while many of them carry the
incorporative quality to such a degree that the sentence becomes one
word, a good example of which is the Micmac.[6-4] Some American and
French writers have misunderstood the nature of this trait, and have
denied it; but the student who acquaints himself thoroughly with the
authors above mentioned, will not be misled.[6-5]

The MS. of the Memoir by W. von Humboldt I obtained from the Berlin
Library. Even Professor Steinthal, in his edition of Humboldt's
linguistic Works, had overlooked it. It is a highly philosophic analysis
of the verb, as it occurs in the languages of the following tribes:
Abipones, Achaguas, Betoyas, Caribs, Huastecas, Lules, Maipures, Mayas,
Mbayas, Mexicans (Nahuas), Mixtecas, Mocovis, Omaguas, Otomis,
Tamanacas, Totonacos, Tupis, Yaruros.

In (5) I have examined the various alleged affiliations between American
and Asiatic tongues, and showed they are wholly unfounded.

In (7) I have entered a plea for more attention to American languages.
Not only for ethnographic purposes are they useful, but their primitive
aspects and methods of presenting ideas enable us to solve psychological
and grammatic problems more completely than other tongues.

In support of this, in (9) and (10), I endeavor to outline what must
have been the morphology of the language which man spoke when in the
very beginning of his existence as man; a speech of marvelous
simplicity, but adapted to his wants.

The volume, of nearly four hundred pages, entitled _The American Race_
(No. 11) was the first attempt at a systematic classification of all the
tribes of A