English Past and Present

but it would be as easy almost to alter the career of a planet as for man to alter these.

By the time that a people begin to meditate upon their language, to be aware by a conscious reflective act either of its merits or deficiencies, by far the greater and more important part of its work is done; it is fixed in respect of its structure in immutable forms; the region in which any alteration or modification, addition to it, or
substraction

from it, deliberately devised and carried out, may be possible, is very limited indeed.

The Past explains the Present