History and Philosophy of the Language Sciences

In this episode, we look at language classification in the first half of the nineteenth century and at some key ideas in the work of Wilhelm von Humboldt. https://hiphilangsci.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/hiphilangsci_003_epr.mp3 Download | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts Archive DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.4767813 References for Episode 3 Primary Sources Condillac, Etienne Bonnot de (1746), Essai sur l’origine des connoissances humaines, 2 vols., Amsterdam: Mortier. Bibliothèque Nationale de France (English trans. Essay on the Origin of Human Knowledge [2001], ed. and trans. Hans Aarsleff, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.) Herder, Johann Gottfried von (1772), Abhandlung über den Ursprung der Sprache, Berlin: Voß. archive.org (English trans. ‘Treatise on the Origin of Language’, Herder: Philosophical Writings, ed. and trans. Michael N. Forster, pp. 65–164, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.) Humboldt, Wilhelm von (1836), ‘Über die Verschiedenheit des menschlichen Sprachbaues’, Über die Kawi-Sprache auf der Insel Java, vol. 1, ed. Alexander von Humboldt, Berlin: Dümmler. archive.org (English trans. On Language. The diversity of human language structure and ist influence on the mental development of mankind [1988], trans. Peter Heath, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.) Humboldt, Wilhelm von (1905 [1820]), ‘Über das vergleichende Sprachstudium in Beziehung auf fie verschiedenen Epochen der Sprachentwicklung’, Wilhelm von Humboldts Gesammelte Schriften, vol. 4, ed. Albert Leitzmann, pp. 1-34, Behr: Berlin. archive.org (English trans. ‘On the comparative study of language and ist relation to the different periods of language development’, Wilhelm von Humboldt: Essays on Language [1997], ed. T. Harden and D. Farrelly, pp. 1–22. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang.) Locke, John (1975 [1690]), An essay concerning human understanding, ed. Peter H. Nidditch, Oxford: Oxford University Press. Schlegel, August Wilhelm (1818), Observations sur la langue et la littérature provençales, Paris: Librairie grecque-latine-allemande. archive.org Schlegel, Friedrich (1808), Ueber die Sprache und Weisheit der Indier, Heidelberg: Mohr und Zimmer. archive.org (English trans. ‘On the Indian Language, Literature and Philosophy’ [1900], The Æsthetic and Miscellaneous Works of Friedrich von Schlegel, ed. and trans. E. J. Millington, pp. 425–536, London: George Bell and Sons. archive.org) Secondary Sources Aarsleff, Hans (1982), From Locke to Saussure: Essays on the study of language and intellectual history, Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. Trabant, Jürgen (1986), Apeliotes oder der Sinn der Sprache, Wilhelm von Humboldts Sprachbild, München: Wilhelm Fink. Bayerische Staatsbibliothek Trabant, Jürgen (2012), Weltansichten: Wilhelm von Humboldts Sprachprojekt, München: C.H. Beck. Stang, Nicholas F. (2018 [2016]), ‘Kant’s Transcendental Idealism’, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2018 Edition), ed. Edward N. Zalta. https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2018/entries/kant-transcendental-idealism/

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.

Discover the fascinating pre-history of comparative-historical grammar, tracing its roots in modern linguistics. Learn about the monumental shift in the 19th century as scholars like Sir William Jones and Friedrich Schlegel transformed linguistic study into a scientific endeavor. Delve into the philosophical underpinnings of language meaning, highlighting insights from thinkers such as John Locke and Leibniz. This exploration reveals how early efforts laid the groundwork for understanding language connections across cultures.