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Possible ideas and thoughts are vast in number. A distinct word for
every distinct idea and thought would require a vast vocabulary.
The problem in language is to express many ideas and thoughts with
comparatively few words.
Again, in the evolution of any language, progress is from a condition
where few ideas are expressed by a few words to a higher, where many
ideas are expressed by the use of many words; but the number of all
possible ideas or thoughts expressed is increased greatly out of
proportion with the increase of the number of words.
And still again, in all of those languages which have been most
thoroughly studied, and by inference in all languages, it appears
that the few original words used in any language remain as the elements
for the greater number finally used. In the evolution of a language
the introduction of absolutely new material is a comparatively rare
phenomenon. The old material is combined and modified in many ways to
form the new.
How has the small stock of words found as the basis of a language been
thus combined and modified?
The way in which the old materials have been used gives rise to what
will here be denominated THE GRAMMATIC PROCESSES.