DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70302#0327
HISTORY OF THE SAVAGE OF AVEYNON.
291
luded to. He soon afterwards seemed to understand the
human voice, and if two persons were conversing in a
high tone in the gallery that led to his chamber, he would
go repeatedly to the door to see whether it was properly-
secured, and even take the precaution to put his finger
on the latch to be still farther satisfied. He likewise dis-
tinguished the guttural sound continually uttered by the
deaf and dumb, and seemed able to ascertain the place
whence it came ; for if he heard it while going down
stairs, he never failed to turn back, or to descend more
hastily, according as the noise came from below or
above.
A still more interesting remark was soon afterwards
made by his instructor. One day, while he was in the
kitchen boiling potatoes, two persons were standing be-
hind him, disputing with greath warmth, without his ap-
pearing to pay any attention to them. A third came in,
and joining in the conversation, began all his replies with
the exclamation O ! As often as it escaped him, the savage
suddenly turned his head ; which induced M. Itard after-
wards, to make some farther experiments with that par-
ticular sound, from which he obtained similar results. He
likewise tried all the other vowels, but without success ;
and in consequence of this preference for o, he gave the
youth a name, in which, according to the French pronun-
ciation, that letter is very strongly expressed. This name
was Victor, which he still retains.
As yet, Victor has made no great progress in speaking ;
the only words he has learned to utter being, Lait, (milk)
and the exclamation, O Dieu ! (O God!) which he has
learned of Madame Guerin. Among the other impedi-
ments, that contribute to retard his improvement in arti-
culate utterance, is the facility he shews in expressing in
other ways, the small number of his wants. When for
p p 2 instance,
291
luded to. He soon afterwards seemed to understand the
human voice, and if two persons were conversing in a
high tone in the gallery that led to his chamber, he would
go repeatedly to the door to see whether it was properly-
secured, and even take the precaution to put his finger
on the latch to be still farther satisfied. He likewise dis-
tinguished the guttural sound continually uttered by the
deaf and dumb, and seemed able to ascertain the place
whence it came ; for if he heard it while going down
stairs, he never failed to turn back, or to descend more
hastily, according as the noise came from below or
above.
A still more interesting remark was soon afterwards
made by his instructor. One day, while he was in the
kitchen boiling potatoes, two persons were standing be-
hind him, disputing with greath warmth, without his ap-
pearing to pay any attention to them. A third came in,
and joining in the conversation, began all his replies with
the exclamation O ! As often as it escaped him, the savage
suddenly turned his head ; which induced M. Itard after-
wards, to make some farther experiments with that par-
ticular sound, from which he obtained similar results. He
likewise tried all the other vowels, but without success ;
and in consequence of this preference for o, he gave the
youth a name, in which, according to the French pronun-
ciation, that letter is very strongly expressed. This name
was Victor, which he still retains.
As yet, Victor has made no great progress in speaking ;
the only words he has learned to utter being, Lait, (milk)
and the exclamation, O Dieu ! (O God!) which he has
learned of Madame Guerin. Among the other impedi-
ments, that contribute to retard his improvement in arti-
culate utterance, is the facility he shews in expressing in
other ways, the small number of his wants. When for
p p 2 instance,