Dr James Hutton on Written Language

Extract

It is the purpose of, this paper to show, in what manner we arrive at the knowledge of simple sounds, by the analytical examination of our speech, or the resolution of it into its principles. These simple sounds may be represented to the sight, by means of certain figures, appropriated to those sounds. Such figures then become the principles, first, of the writing of our speech, and, 2dly, of the reading of our written language.