The History of Linguistics in the Nordic Countries
101: Societas Scientiarum Fennica, 2000. Hardcover. Text in English. 672 pp.
The History of Linguistics in the Nordic Countries provides an overview of the development of linguistics and language study in the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden) from the Middle Ages to the late 1990s. The focus of the book is on the history of linguistic theorizing and description. It also touches on the development in areas such as language attitudes, language teaching, schooling and literacy.
Throughout the book, the history of linguistics is treated in relation to the general course of historical, political, and cultural development. The institutional development of linguistics at universities. academies and other institutions is traced in detail. The material was selected on the basis of three main criteria: scholars and studies that were interesting and influential in their own day, scholars and studies that have been influential later on, and scholars and studies that received no contemporary recognition, but that are interesting from a modern point of view.
A number of important and/or representative scholars and studies have been treated in depth. An important subset of linguists given due recognition in the book are the influential persons who exerted control over areas like research funding or specific fields of study.
The authors also approach the notoriously difficult concept of scholarly progress. Interesting differences are found between the Nordic countries with regard to how the study of linguistics has developed. These differences are elucidated with reference to geographical, historical and other factors. The final chapter attempts to single out the internationally most significant contributions made by Nordic linguists through the ages. Near Fine. Item #4026
ISBN: 9516533051
Price: $50.00