Blog Archives

Early Descriptions of Gender in Pama-Nyungan Languages

Clara Stockigt University of Adelaide There is little correlation between the existence of a system of gender in Pama-Nyungan languages and the inclusion of a discussion of these systems under the heading “Gender” in early grammatical sources. Of the small

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Posted in 19th century, 20th century, Article, Australia, Field linguistics, Grammars, History, Linguistics, Syntax, Typology

Sapir’s form-feeling and its aesthetic background

Jean-Michel Fortis Laboratoire d’histoire des thĂ©ories linguistiques, UniversitĂ© Paris-Diderot I find that what I most care for is beauty of form, whether in substance or, perhaps even more keenly, in spirit. A perfect style, a well-balanced system of philosophy, a

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Posted in 19th century, 20th century, America, Article, Europe, Germany, History, Linguistics

German Lutheran Missionaries and the Linguistic Landscape of Central Australia 1890-1910

David Moore University of Western Australia My research aims to investigate documentation and research in the languages of Central Australia, providing a valid interpretation of the materials of the earliest work on the Aranda (Arrernte, Arrarnta) language of Central Australia.

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Posted in 19th century, Article, Australia, Field linguistics, Grammars, History, Linguistics

‘You don’t see what you don’t know’: examining material aspects of manuscripts (Part I)

Anna Pytlowany University of Amsterdam Part one: Paper, ink, watermarks My interest in manuscripts as material objects was sparked when I started my PhD research into the history of Dutch descriptive linguistics. Ultimately, I want to create a virtual digital

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Posted in 17th century, 18th century, 19th century, Article, Europe, History, Netherlands

Saussure’s sound symbolism

John Joseph University of Edinburgh “The most celebrated opponent of the sound symbolic hypothesis,” writes Magnus (2013: 201), “was, of course, Ferdinand de Saussure”. Of course. One of Saussure’s key contributions to modern linguistics is the principle of the arbitrariness

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Posted in 19th century, 20th century, Article, Europe, History, Linguistics, Structuralism

Exclamatives: a grammatical category?

Els Elffers University of Amsterdam 1. Introduction In most Western European grammars, sentences such as Hurrah!, How very curious!, or Vienna is so dull! are categorized as exclamatory sentences or exclamatives. Next to declaratives, interrogatives and imperatives, exclamatives are usually

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Posted in 19th century, 20th century, Article, History, Linguistics, Syntax, Uncategorized

Dr JosĂ© Rizal and the making of a modern linguistic Messiah

Piers Kelly Australian National University Describing the preeminent Filipino national hero Dr. Jose Rizal as a linguist is a little like referring to Thomas Jefferson as a horticulturalist. The statement may be true, but the many other talents that Rizal

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Posted in 19th century, Article, History, Linguistics, Philippines, Phonology

Bloomfield : Du mentalisme au behaviorisme

Jean-Michel Fortis Laboratoire d’histoire des thĂ©ories linguistiques, UniversitĂ© Paris-Diderot On peut s’interroger sur l’évolution qui voit Bloomfield passer de la psychologie Ă  dominante wundtienne, qui imprĂšgne son Introduction de 1914, au behaviorisme, et d’une linguistique “mentaliste” Ă  une linguistique psycho-abstinente

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Posted in 19th century, 20th century, America, Article, History, Linguistics, Structuralism

A uniform orthography and early linguistic research in Australia

David Moore University of Western Australia Introduction A Uniform orthography can be defined as one which is segmental and phonographic. Each graphic segment is pronounced and has a distinct value. Internal consistency in transcription is achieved by defining each segment

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Posted in 19th century, 20th century, Article, Australia, Field linguistics, History, Linguistics, Phonology

From Inductivism to Structuralism: the ‘method of residues’ goes to the field

Michael Silverstein University of Chicago It should be clear to anyone who surveys the historical record that the “discovery” of the phoneme – that is, the codification of phonological theory and method – was key in linguists’ consciousness of a

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Posted in 19th century, 20th century, America, Article, Europe, History, Linguistics, Structuralism

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(Non-)Native Speakers in the History of Linguistic Ideas


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The Prague Linguistic Circle in Geneva and Paris: Circulations and Decenterings


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La linguistique ‘fonctionnelle’ cent ans aprùs la fondation du Cercle linguistique de Prague


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