Early experiments

[Brian MacWhinney]

Jean,
   What I know is that the chronicler Salimbene explained how Kaiser
Friedrich II of Hohenzollern (ca. 1250) isolated two children with a
nursemaid bound to silence. The experiment never ran to completion, since
both children died before producing speech.  I have also read that Muller
(date unknown ) says that similar experiments were conducted by James IV of
Scotland and the Emperor Akbar of India.  In the case of the experiment by
Akbar all 30 subjects failed to develop speech.  James IV believed that the
children should end up speaking Hebrew without any specific input.  He was
disappointed to find that they spoke no language at all, not even  "very guid
Ebrew."
  I have these references from reading notes.  Years ago I tried to track
down the chronicles of Salimbene with no luck.  Nor have I ever located the
Muller discussion.  So, this takes us a little closer, but perhaps someone
else can provide the real references.  Maybe you have to travel to some
far-off monastery in Bohemia and climb a dusty staircase to find the real
reference.  Or maybe they are in some article by Roger Brown on my shelf.

--Brian MacWhinney