History of Linguistics

Theme 1.

Ancient Greece. Ancient Rome. Ancient India. Arabic Linguistics.

Ancient GreeceAncient Greece• The most general, philosophical The most general, philosophical

questions of language, such as the origin questions of language, such as the origin of human speech;of human speech;

• Questions concerning structural Questions concerning structural categories in language, including categories in language, including phonetics;phonetics;

• Questions concerning usage (from the Questions concerning usage (from the point of correctness)point of correctness)

• Linguistic questions connected with the Linguistic questions connected with the study of literary forms and rhetoric.study of literary forms and rhetoric.

The central philosophical The central philosophical problem of language in problem of language in ancient Greece was the ancient Greece was the problem of the relation problem of the relation between the words and between the words and the things they signify.the things they signify.

Heraclitus (ab. 544- ab. Heraclitus (ab. 544- ab. 483 B.C.)483 B.C.)

Language is inherent in Language is inherent in nature (physei)nature (physei)

Democritus (ab.460-370 Democritus (ab.460-370 B.C.)B.C.)

Language is created by the Language is created by the people (thesei)people (thesei)

Plato (427-347 B.C.)Plato (427-347 B.C.)

Cratylus, or about the Correctness Cratylus, or about the Correctness of Namesof Names

- Usage in people’s Usage in people’s

communitycommunity

Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)

The theory of word The theory of word

classesclasses The theory of The theory of

the sentencethe sentence

Alexandria Alexandria (2 c. B.C. – 2 c. A.D.)(2 c. B.C. – 2 c. A.D.)

Aristarchus (ab.217-145 B.C.)Aristarchus (ab.217-145 B.C.) Dionysius Thrix (ab. 170-90 B.C.)Dionysius Thrix (ab. 170-90 B.C.) Apollonius Dyscolus (the 2Apollonius Dyscolus (the 2ndnd c. c.

A.D.)A.D.)

AlexandriaAlexandria

Parts of speech:Parts of speech: Inflected (name, verb, Inflected (name, verb,

particle, article, pronoun)particle, article, pronoun) Uninflected (preposition, Uninflected (preposition,

adverb, conjunction)adverb, conjunction)

AlexandriaAlexandria

The sentence is The sentence is “a “a combination of words combination of words expressing a complete expressing a complete

thought”thought”

AlexandriaAlexandria

The word is The word is “an articulate “an articulate sound with a certain sound with a certain meaning out of which the meaning out of which the sentence is composed, sentence is composed, and into which it is and into which it is decomposed”decomposed”

AlexandriaAlexandriaphonetic structurephonetic structure

Speech sounds (“letters”):Speech sounds (“letters”): VowelsVowels Semi-vowelsSemi-vowels Non-vowelsNon-vowelsThe principle of the The principle of the

classification is the syllable-classification is the syllable-forming function of sounds.forming function of sounds.

Ancient RomeAncient Rome

Varro (116-27 B. C)Varro (116-27 B. C) Donatus (4th century A. Donatus (4th century A.

D.) D.) Priscian (6th century A.D.)Priscian (6th century A.D.)

Ancient RomeAncient RomeEtymologyEtymology

luna luna lu-na,lu-na, lucere- (shine)lucere- (shine) nox – (night)nox – (night) LunaLuna is a celestial body which shines is a celestial body which shines

at night. at night. The connection between The connection between luna luna and and

lucere lucere is obvious but is obvious but lunaluna has has nothing in common with nothing in common with nox.nox.

Ancient IndiaAncient India

Factors for rise to grammatical Factors for rise to grammatical teaching:teaching:

Interpretation of the Interpretation of the Vedas (“knowledge”)Vedas (“knowledge”)

PaniniPanini

PaniniPanini

discovered the morphological discovered the morphological structure of the word: the root, the structure of the word: the root, the stem, the suffix;stem, the suffix;

classified the words of the language classified the words of the language according to formative according to formative characteristics; characteristics;

investigated all the types of investigated all the types of declination and conjugation.declination and conjugation.

Phonetics studyPhonetics study

Organs of speech;Organs of speech; Description of sounds in accord with Description of sounds in accord with

their articulation;their articulation; Active organs of speech: (lips, three Active organs of speech: (lips, three

parts of the tongue (front, middle, and parts of the tongue (front, middle, and back), larynx);back), larynx);

Phonetic changes on the borders of Phonetic changes on the borders of words and affixeswords and affixes

Division of sounds into vowels, Division of sounds into vowels, consonants and semi-vowels.consonants and semi-vowels.

MorphologyMorphology

Four parts of speech: name Four parts of speech: name (denoting substance), verb (denoting substance), verb (denoting action), particles (denoting action), particles and prepositions. and prepositions.

Pronouns and adverbs are Pronouns and adverbs are distributed among nouns and distributed among nouns and verbs. verbs.

Arabic LinguisticsArabic Linguistics

Abu 'Abd Ar-Rahman Khalīl Abu 'Abd Ar-Rahman Khalīl ibn Ahmad Al Farāhīdiibn Ahmad Al Farāhīdi (More commonly known as Al (More commonly known as Al Farāhīdi) (ab. 718–ab. 791)Farāhīdi) (ab. 718–ab. 791)

Kitab al-'AynKitab al-'Ayn

LexicographyLexicography

Dictionaries:Dictionaries: ExplanatoryExplanatory thematicthematic of synonymsof synonyms of rare wordsof rare words of borrowingsof borrowings translation translation

GrammarGrammar

parts of speech (name, verb and parts of speech (name, verb and particles);particles);

three-consonant roots, flexions three-consonant roots, flexions and affixes;and affixes;

three types of sentences(nominal, three types of sentences(nominal, verbal and adverbial);verbal and adverbial);

syntactic relations(agreement, syntactic relations(agreement, government and adjoinment). government and adjoinment).