For supposing
that one were to cut off a man's lips, unite his upper teeth together,
and similarly his under ones, and then were to lengthen out the two
separate pieces thus formed, narrowing them on either side and
making them project forwards, supposing, I say, this to be done, we
should at once have a bird-like beak.
The use of the lips in all animals except man is to preserve and
guard the teeth; and thus it is that the distinctness with which the
lips are formed is in direct proportion to the degree of nicety and
perfection with which the teeth are fashioned. In man the lips are
soft and flesh-like and capable of separating from each other. Their
purpose, as in other animals, is to guard the teeth, but they are more
especially intended to serve a higher office, contributing in common
with other parts to man's faculty of speech. For just as nature has
made man's tongue unlike that of other animals, and, in accordance
with what I have said is her not uncommon practice, has used it for
two distinct operations, namely for the perception of savours and
for speech, so also has she acted with regard to the lips, and made
them serve both for speech and for the protection of the teeth. For
vocal speech consists of combinations of the letters, and most of
these would be impossible to pronounce, were the lips not moist, nor
the tongue such as it is.
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