Early experiments

[James Russell]

At 17:19 -0400 4/6/99, Jean Berko Gleason wrote:
>I'm looking for a reference to an "experiment" carried out by one of the
>German kings (Frederick the ?), who purportedly raised children without
>allowing them to hear spoken language because he was sure that they
>would then speak the REAL language, German.  Can anyone tell me which
>Fred it was and point me to a reference that details this?  (I know all
>about
>Psammetichus, and really mean this story....)  Thanks.
>
>Jean Berko Gleason

There were a number of royal experiments of this kind and
they are very usefully reviewed in a paper by Robin Campbell and
Robert Greive:
"Royal investigations of the origin of language.
Hitoriographia Linguistica, Volume IX, 43-74

(I was indeed Frederick the Great - but the 'Stupor Mundi'
one who lived in Scicily rather than the flute-playing
friend of Voltaire.

James Russell