History and Philosophy of the Language Sciences

Podcast episode 2: Comparative-historical linguistics – Bopp and Grimm

Jan 31, 2020

Discover the origins of comparative-historical grammar in the 19th century, focusing on the enlightening work of Franz Bopp and Jacob Grimm. Their innovative methodologies reveal connections between Sanskrit and Indo-European languages. Explore the evolution of etymology and how the Grimm brothers shaped German national identity through their research. Uncover the broader intellectual movements that influenced their groundbreaking studies in language, law, and literature.

20:43

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Quick takeaways

Franz Bopp's systematic analysis of languages, particularly Sanskrit, laid the foundation for comparative-historical grammar as a formal academic discipline.

Jacob Grimm's identification of systematic sound changes among Germanic languages through rigorous analysis revolutionized the study of language evolution and cultural identity.

Deep dives

Emergence of Comparative Historical Grammar

The early 19th century saw the establishment of comparative historical grammar as a formal academic discipline, influenced by scholars such as Friedrich Schlegel and Sir William Jones. Although these figures initiated discussions on similarities between Indian and European languages, the detailed comparative work was largely pioneered by Franz Bopp. Carrying a strong passion for Sanskrit, Bopp aimed to uncover the relationships between various languages through systematic analysis, leading to the publication of his seminal work, the 'Conjugation System'. This pioneering research united empirical language data with philosophical analysis, laying the groundwork for future comparative studies.

Intro

2min

Pioneers of Comparative-Historical Linguistics

12min

The Evolution of Etymology: From Volksgeist to Grimm's Law

6min

In this episode, we look at the emergence of comparative-historical grammar, focusing on the work of Franz Bopp and Jacob Grimm.

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Archive DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.4767805

References for Episode 2

Primary Sources

Bopp, Franz (1816), Über das Conjugationssystem der Sanskritsprache in Vergleichung mit jenem der griechischen, lateinischen, persischen und germanischen Sprache, Frankfurt am Main: Andräische Buchhandlung. archive.org

Bopp, Franz (1820), Analytical Comparison of the Sanskrit, Greek, Latin, and Teutonic Languages, shewing the origingal identity of their grammatical structure, Annals of Oriental Literature, 1, pp. 1–64. Google Books

Bopp, Franz (1833–1852), Vergleichende Grammatik des Sanskrit, Zend, Griechischen, Lateinischen, Lithauischen, Gothischen und Deutschen, 6 vols, Berlin: Dümmler. Google Books: All vols.
(2nd ed. 1857–1861, Vergleichende Grammatik des Sanskrit, Send, Armenischen, Griechischen, Lateinischen, Litauischen, Altslavischen, Gothischen und Deutschen, 3 vols.)
(English trans.: Edward B. Eastwick, 1845–1853, A Comparative Grammar of the Sanskrit, Zend, Greek, Latin, Lithuanian, Gothic, German, and Sclavonic Languages, London: Madden and Malcolm, 3 vols. Google Books: Vol. 1 [2nd ed., 1856], Vol. 2, Vol. 3 [2nd ed., 1856].)

Grimm, Jacob (1819), Deutsche Grammatik, vol. 1, Göttingen: Dieterich’sche Buchhandlung.
(2nd ed. 1822–1837, Deutsche Grammatik, 4 vols., Göttingen: Dieterich’sche Buchhandlung. Internet Archive: vol. 1, vol. 2, vol. 3, vol. 4)

Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm et al., eds. (1854–1960), Deutsches Wörterbuch, 16 vols., Leipzig: Hirzel (et al.). Online version

Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm (1812–1815), Kinder- und Hausmärchen, 2 vols., Berlin: Realschulbuchhandlung.
(Six editions in the Grimms’ lifetimes, until 1858.)

Schlegel, August Wilhelm (1847 [1815]), Review of Altdeutsche Wälder, ed. by the Brothers Grimm, in August Wilhelm von Schlegel’s sämmtliche Werke, ed. Eduard Böcking, Leipzig: Weidmann. Bayerische Staatsbibliothek digital

Schlegel, August Wilhelm (1832), ‘Grammatischer Unterschied’, ‘Literarische Scherze’, Museumsalmanach für das Jahr 1832, ed. Amadeus Wendt, p. 321, Leipzig: Weidmann. Google Books

Secondary Sources

Beiser, Frederick C. (2011), The German Historicist Tradition, Oxford: Oxford University Press. See Chap. 5.

Ginschel, Gunhild (1989 [1967]), Der Junge Jacob Grimm: 1805–1819, Berlin: Stuttgart: Hirzel.

Jendreieck, Helmut (1975), Hegel und Jacob Grimm: Ein Beitrag zur Geschichte der Wissenschaftstheorie, Berlin: Erich Schmidt.

Kuhn, Thomas (1962), The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Lefmann, Salomon (1891–1897), Franz Bopp, sein Leben und seine Wissenschaft, 2 vols. and Nachtrag. Berlin: Reimer. archive.org: Vol. I, Vol. II, Nachtrag

Morpurgo Davies, Anna (1998), History of Linguistics, vol. 4: Nineteenth-century Linguistics, London: Longman. See Chap. 6.

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