About “Essay on the Origin of Languages”
Essay on the Origin of Languages is an essay by Jean-Jacques Rousseau published in 1781, after his death. It was intended to be part of a short volume that also included On Theatrical Imitation and The Levite of Ephraim. In the preface to this volume, Rousseau explained that the essay was originally meant for the Discourse on Inequality but was left out because it was too long and out of place. The essay was also referenced in Rousseau's 1762 work Emile, or On Education. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.)