Literary and Linguistic Theories in Eighteenth-Century France - From Nuances to Impertinence

Zusatztext This is a work of sound scholarship which will be a valuable addition to any university library. Informationen zum Autor Edward Nye is University Lecturer in French, and Fellow of Lincoln College, Oxford Klappentext "Linguistic" theories in the eighteenth-century are also theories of literature and art, and it is probably better, therefore, to think of them as "aesthetic" theories. As such, they are answers to the age-old question "what is beauty?," but formulated, also, to respond to contemporary concerns. Edward Nye considers a wide range of authors from these two perspectives and draws the following conclusions: etymology is a theory of poetry, dictionaries of synonymy, prosody and metaphor are theories of preciosity, and Sensualism is a theory of artistic representation. Zusammenfassung Linguistic' theories in the eighteenth-century are also theories of literature and art, and it is probably better, therefore, to think of them as 'aesthetic' theories. As such, they are answers to the age-old question 'what is beauty?', but formulated, also, to respond to contemporary concerns. Edward Nye considers a wide range of authors from these two perspectives and draws the following conclusions: etymology is a theory of poetry, dictionaries of synonymy, prosody and metaphor are theories of preciosity, and Sensualism is a theory of artistic representation. The background to these contentions is outlined in Chapter One, in which Edward Nye traces the rise of the term 'nuances' as an attempt by contemporary authors to understand representation in art as a rationalization of chaotic reality. The demise of these contentions at the end of the century is described in the last chapter, in which the dominant language theory of the day, idéologie, is shown to be antagonistic to the study of art and literature. Theories of language are no longer an answer to the question 'what is beauty?' Inhaltsverzeichnis List of Figures Introduction 1: The history of 'nuances': imitation in the eighteenth century 2: Preciosity and its discontents 3: Condillac's idea of 'nature' 4: Linguistic and Poetic sound symbolism 5: The Dissolution of Language Conclusion Appendix Bibliography Index ...

Product details

• Authors: Edward Nye, Edward ( Nye, Edward (University Lecturer in French Nye, Nye Edward
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 05.10.2000
• EAN: 9780198160120
• ISBN: 978-0-19-816012-0
• No. of pages: 240
• Series: Oxford Modern Languages & Lite; Oxford Modern Languages & Lite; Oxford Modern Languages and Literature Monographs
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Linguistics and literary studies > General and comparative linguistics; French, Philosophy of Language, History of Ideas, PHILOSOPHY / Language, HISTORY / Social History, LITERARY CRITICISM / European / French, LITERARY CRITICISM / Modern / General, 18th century, c 1700 to c 1799, Historical & comparative linguistics, Literary studies: c 1500 to c 1800, Literary studies: fiction, novelists & prose writers, Literary studies: fiction, novelists and prose writers, Literary studies: c 1600 to c 1800, C 1700 To C 1800, Historical and comparative linguistics, LITERARY CRITICISM / Novel as Form