The Philosophical Foundations of Humboldt's Linguistic Doctrines

The Philosophical Foundations of Humboldt's Linguistic Doctrines PDF

Author: Martin L. Manchester

Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing

Published: 1985-01-01

Total Pages: 229

ISBN-13: 9027245142

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Wilhelm von Humboldt s writings on language are a mixture of philosophical theorizing about mind and language on the one hand, and on the other hand, specialized studies of the most detailed sort of both the classical languages and languages which only in Humboldt s day were becoming known to European scholars, such as Sanskrit, Chinese, and native north and south American languages. This book endeavors to show that Humboldt s work on language is a coherent system of thought; to recapture and expose the systematic structure of assumption, hypothesis, argument and conclusion; and to assign many of the specific themes in his writing to a place within this structure.

Wilhelm von Humboldt and Early American Linguistics

Wilhelm von Humboldt and Early American Linguistics PDF

Author: Emanuel J. Drechsel

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2024-01-31

Total Pages: 440

ISBN-13: 1108967590

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Wilhelm von Humboldt (1767–1835), an early pioneer in the philosophy of language, linguistic and educational theory, was not only one of the first European linguists to identify human language as a rule-governed system –the foundational premise of Noam Chomsky's generative theory – or to reflect on cognition in studying language; he was also a major scholar of Indigenous American languages. However, with his famous naturalist brother Alexander 'stealing the show,' Humboldt's contributions to linguistics and anthropology have remained understudied in English until today. Drechsel's unique book addresses this gap by uncovering and examining Humboldt's influences on diverse issues in nineteenth-century American linguistics, from Peter S. Duponceau to the early Boasians, including Edward Sapir. This study shows how Humboldt's ideas have shaped the field in multiple ways. Shining a light on one of the early innovators of linguistics, it is essential reading for anyone interested in the history of the field.

Wilhelm Von Humboldt's Philosophy of Language

Wilhelm Von Humboldt's Philosophy of Language PDF

Author: Elsina Stubbs

Publisher:

Published: 1998

Total Pages: 542

ISBN-13:

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The principal aim of this thesis is to argue that Humboldt's philosophy of language should be seen as a coherent system in which he envisages the interaction of thought, perception, and imagination. The thesis underlines the significance of Humboldt's approach to his philosophical sources and his clarification and development of ideas embodied in those sources. -- Humboldt starts with the basic assumption that the crucial characteristic of language is not only its structure - which is the mere prerequisite for its functioning - but also the speech-activity which creates and preserves language as a tradition. -- The discussion brings into focus the philosophy of such eminent philosophers as Leibniz, Condillac, Herder, and Kant, who not only exercised a profound influence on Humboldt's thought but also reoriented his way of thinking. -- A major argument centres on Herder's influence on Humboldt, and on the development of theories presented by the 'Ideologues'. The intellectual background of Humboldt's development of a general theory of human expression and activity played a major part in the fashioning of his linguistic philosophy, which was further supported by his study of anthropology, and leads to his final goal of 'Bildung'. -- Humboldt was the precursor of modern developments in comparative linguistic studies and ethnolinguistics, exploring the interrelationship of language and culture, to which he made lasting contributions in his studies of the Basque, Chinese, and Sanskrit languages. These he brought to the attention of scholars, and thereby initiated the objective study of these languages. -- It is also argued that Humboldt endeavoured to oppose the traditional concept of linguistics by an essentially new approach that reflects an ontological and phylogenetic interpretation of language.

Wilhelm Von Humboldt's Linguistical Studies

Wilhelm Von Humboldt's Linguistical Studies PDF

Author: George J Adler

Publisher: Legare Street Press

Published: 2023-07-18

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781021278258

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Explore the fascinating linguistical studies of Wilhelm von Humboldt, a prominent Prussian philosopher and linguist. Humboldt's innovative theories and groundbreaking research have shaped the field of linguistics for centuries to come. This book provides an in-depth analysis of Humboldt's ideas and highlights their significant contributions to the study of language. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

The Philosophic Grammar of American Languages, as Set Forth by Wilhelm von Humboldt

The Philosophic Grammar of American Languages, as Set Forth by Wilhelm von Humboldt PDF

Author: Daniel G. Brinton

Publisher: DigiCat

Published: 2022-09-15

Total Pages: 88

ISBN-13:

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The foundations of the Philosophy of Language were laid by Wilhelm von Humboldt. The principles he advocated have frequently been misunderstood, and some of them have been modified, or even controverted, by more extended research; but a careful survey of the tendencies of modern thought in this field will show that the philosophic scheme of the nature and growth of languages, which he set forth, is gradually reasserting its sway, after having been neglected and denied through the preponderance of the so-called naturalistic school during the last quarter of a century. The time seems ripe, therefore, to bring the general principles of his philosophy to the knowledge of American scholars, especially as applied by himself to the analysis of American languages. The American languages occupied Humboldt's attention earnestly and for many years. He was first led to their study by his brother Alexander, who presented him with the large linguistic collection he had amassed during his travels in South and North America.

Humboldt, Worldview and Language

Humboldt, Worldview and Language PDF

Author: James W. Underhill

Publisher: Edinburgh University Press

Published: 2009-05-23

Total Pages: 176

ISBN-13: 0748640223

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With the loss of many of the world's languages, it is important to question what will be lost to humanity with their demise. It is frequently argued that a language engenders a 'worldview', but what do we mean by this term? Attributed to German politician and philologist Wilhelm von Humboldt (1767-1835), the term has since been adopted by numerous linguists. Within specialist circles it has become associated with what is known as the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis which suggests that the nature of a language influences the thought of its speakers and that different language patterns yield different patterns of thought.Underhill's concise and rigorously researched book clarifies the main ideas and proposals of Humboldt's linguistic philosophy and demonstrates the way his ideas can be adopted and adapted by thinkers and linguists today. A detailed glossary of terms is provided in order to clarify key concepts and to translate the German terms used by Humboldt.

The Relativity Principle in Language

The Relativity Principle in Language PDF

Author: Kathrin Ehlen

Publisher: GRIN Verlag

Published: 2011-06-22

Total Pages: 22

ISBN-13: 3640942434

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Seminar paper from the year 2006 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Linguistics, grade: 1,3, University of Paderborn (Anglistik und Amerikanistik), course: Metaphor and Metonymy, language: English, abstract: For hundreds of years scholars have been pondering on the interconnection of language and thought with in some points corresponding and in some points differing results. Two important protagonists in this discussion were Wilhelm von Humboldt (1767-1835) and Leo Weisgerber (1899-1985), whose positions to this question I am trying to set out in this paper. As the theme is very complex, I shall at least attempt to point out some aspects, which seem especially important to me. All the authors I consulted agree that Humboldt’s theory cannot be comprehended without considering the philosophical background. Not being a student of philosophy, conceiving this part of the paper was very difficult for me. I tried to do my best by picking out those aspects of his philosophical ideas which I thought indispensable for the understanding of his doctrines.

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