Wilhelm von Humboldt s writings on language are a mixture of philosophical theorizing about mind and language on the one hand, and on the other hand, specialized studies of the most detailed sort of both the classical languages and languages which only in Humboldt s day were becoming known to European scholars, such as Sanskrit, Chinese, and native north and south American languages. This book endeavors to show that Humboldt s work on language is a coherent system of thought; to recapture and expose the systematic structure of assumption, hypothesis, argument and conclusion; and to assign many of the specific themes in his writing to a place within this structure.

Wilhelm von Humboldt (1767–1835), an early pioneer in the philosophy of language, linguistic and educational theory, was not only one of the first European linguists to identify human language as a rule-governed system –the foundational premise of Noam Chomsky's generative theory – or to reflect on cognition in studying language; he was also a major scholar of Indigenous American languages. However, with his famous naturalist brother Alexander 'stealing the show,' Humboldt's contributions to linguistics and anthropology have remained understudied in English until today. Drechsel's unique book addresses this gap by uncovering and examining Humboldt's influences on diverse issues in nineteenth-century American linguistics, from Peter S. Duponceau to the early Boasians, including Edward Sapir. This study shows how Humboldt's ideas have shaped the field in multiple ways. Shining a light on one of the early innovators of linguistics, it is essential reading for anyone interested in the history of the field.

Wilhelm von Humboldt's classic study of human language was first published in 1836, as a general introduction to his three-volume treatise on the Kawi language of Java. It is the final statement of his lifelong study of the nature of language, exploring its universal structures and its relation to mind and culture. Empirically wide-ranging - Humboldt goes far beyond the Indo-European family of languages - it remains one of the most interesting and important attempts to draw philosophical conclusions from comparative linguistics. This 1999 volume presents a translation by Peter Heath, together with an introduction by Michael Losonsky that places Humboldt's work in its historical context and discusses its relevance to contemporary work in philosophy, linguistics, cognitive science, and psychology.

The principal aim of this thesis is to argue that Humboldt's philosophy of language should be seen as a coherent system in which he envisages the interaction of thought, perception, and imagination. The thesis underlines the significance of Humboldt's approach to his philosophical sources and his clarification and development of ideas embodied in those sources. -- Humboldt starts with the basic assumption that the crucial characteristic of language is not only its structure - which is the mere prerequisite for its functioning - but also the speech-activity which creates and preserves language as a tradition. -- The discussion brings into focus the philosophy of such eminent philosophers as Leibniz, Condillac, Herder, and Kant, who not only exercised a profound influence on Humboldt's thought but also reoriented his way of thinking. -- A major argument centres on Herder's influence on Humboldt, and on the development of theories presented by the 'Ideologues'. The intellectual background of Humboldt's development of a general theory of human expression and activity played a major part in the fashioning of his linguistic philosophy, which was further supported by his study of anthropology, and leads to his final goal of 'Bildung'. -- Humboldt was the precursor of modern developments in comparative linguistic studies and ethnolinguistics, exploring the interrelationship of language and culture, to which he made lasting contributions in his studies of the Basque, Chinese, and Sanskrit languages. These he brought to the attention of scholars, and thereby initiated the objective study of these languages. -- It is also argued that Humboldt endeavoured to oppose the traditional concept of linguistics by an essentially new approach that reflects an ontological and phylogenetic interpretation of language.

Explore the fascinating linguistical studies of Wilhelm von Humboldt, a prominent Prussian philosopher and linguist. Humboldt's innovative theories and groundbreaking research have shaped the field of linguistics for centuries to come. This book provides an in-depth analysis of Humboldt's ideas and highlights their significant contributions to the study of language. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.