LING 50.05 History of Linguistics

This course covers the history of linguistics from ancient times up until the present, concentrating on 20th century.  Major themes include: the controversy over the status of linguistics as a science; the recurrent conflict between theoretical and applied linguistics; the relation of trends in linguistics to general contemporaneous intellectual trends; and the relative importance of social factors in determining the acceptance of particular linguists’ ideas.  Specific theoretical issues will also be considered, such as: the nature and significance of the phoneme; the degree to which syntax is independent of semantics and pragmatics; realist vs. nominalist views of linguistic description; and formalist vs. functionalist disagreements over the autonomy of language. 

Instructor

Pulju

Degree Requirement Attributes

Dist:TMV

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