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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.

— John Wesley Powell Introduction to the Study of Indian Languages (1880)

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More quotes by John Wesley Powell

The verb is relatively of much greater importance in an Indian tongue than in a civilized language.

Introduction to the Study of Indian Languages (1880)

Years of drought and famine come and years of flood and famine come, and the climate is not changed with dance, libation or prayer.

Honest investigation is but the application of common sense to the solution of the unknown. Science does not wait on Genius, but is the companion of Industry.

The Larger Import of Scientific Education (1885)

In my supposed death I had attained to a glory which I fear my continued life has not fully vindicated.

Canyons of the Colorada (1895)

Indian nouns are extremely connotive; that is, the name does more than simply denote the thing to which it belongs; in denoting the object, it also assigns to it some quality or characteristic.

Introduction to the Study of Indian Languages (1880)

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Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: John Wesley Powell (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.