Sylabus
Selected references:
Keith Allan. 2007. The Western Classical Tradition in Linguistics. London: Equinox.
Law, Vivien. 2015. The History of Linguistics in Europe: From Plato to 1600. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press
Taylor, Daniel J. 1987. The History of linguistics in the classical period. Amsterdam: J. Benjamins Pub. Co.
Lepschy, Giulio C., ed. 2001. History of linguistics. Vol. 1, The eastern traditions of linguistics. [Repr.]. London: Longman
Lepschy, Giulio C., ed. 2001. History of linguistics. Vol. 2, classical and medieval linguistics. [Repr.]. London: Longman
Lepschy, Giulio C., ed. 2002. History of linguistics. Vol. 3, Renaissance and early modern linguistics. [Repr.]. London: Longman
Anotace
This course will focus on the development, analysis, and exemplification of various linguistic theories from the very beginning to the present day. We will begin chronologically from the earliest attested Indic grammatical treatises (Pāṇini, Patañjali, Yaska, et al.) and continue chronologically along important milestones The next grammatical tradition which will be subjected to deeper scrutiny is that of classical antiquity, including the works of Greek (e. g. Aristotle, Dionysius Thrax) and Latin (Marcus Terentius Varro, Paulus ex Festo, Aelius Donatus, Priscian etc.) scholars. The course will consist of the theoretical part, where we will elucidate the theory and terms used by the various grammatographers, and the practical part, in which selected topics (and portions of the grammatographical work) will be analysed and discussed. This double method is essential for understanding the character of each linguistic theory from both sides. Participants will become acquainted with relevant primary sources and will learn to work with different types of secondary literature, including etymological dictionaries and handbooks of historical and comparative grammar, as well as how to make use of various online databases. During the course, students will also acquire practical knowledge of the functioning of processes and linguistic phenomena which play a substantial role in single linguistic schools. This course is primarily intended for students of linguistics and individual philologies, but is suitable for anybody interested in the history and evolution of various linguistic schools. Plan of the course:
1. Introduction to the subject and to the available literature (handbooks, dictionaries, grammars), online databases and other sources and resources.
2. Vedic/Indic tradition (Nirukta, Vedangas, Yaska, Pāṇini, Patañjali)
3. Linguistics in Classical antiquity
4. Linguistic approaches and theories in ancient Greece (Aristotle´s Poetics, Plato´s Cratylos, et al.)
5. Latin grammatical tradition (Paulus ex Festo, Marcus Terentius Varro, et al.)
6. Medieval linguistic tradition (Isidore of Seville, Marcus Zuërius van Boxhorn, Bonaventura Vulcanius, et al.)
7. Linguistics in modern times and its methods (Neogrammarians, Ausnahmslosigkeit der Lautgesätze)
8. Historical and comparative method, reconstruction of Proto-Indo-European (Bopp, Grimm, Rask, et al.)
9. Misleading attitudes in linguistics (lucus a non lucendo, faux amis, Bongo-Bongo effect)
10. Prague linguistic circle (Wilém Mathesius, Nikolai Trubetzkoy, Roman Jakobson)
11. Contact linguistics (e. g. loanwords, Wanderwörter, pidgin and creols, Sprachbund…)
12. “Fantalinguistica” (fantastic and unscientific theories about genealogy, evolution of words, languages and language families, e. g. Nostratic theory, Güneş Dil Teorisi) Requirements Attendance at classes (2-3 absences allowed) and preparation are of course compulsory. In addition, participants should select a topic and make a short presentation (10-15 min.) during the course of the semester. There will be an oral examination at the end of the course.