On Language - On the diversity of Human Language Construction and It's Influence...

A classic study of human language, its structures, and its relation to mind and culture.

List of contents

1. Distribution and cultural connection of the Malayan races; 2. General consideration of the course of man's development; 3. The same, continued; 4. Effects of exceptional mental power; 5. Conjoint action of individuals and nations; 6. The same, continued; 7. Transition to closer consideration of language; 8. Form of languages; 9. Nature and constitution of languages as such; 10. Sound-system of languages; 11. Inner linguistic form; 12. Combination of sound with inner linguistic form; 13. The procedure of language more fully explained; 14. Isolation, inflection and agglutination of words; 15. Verbal unity more closely examined; 16. Accent; 17. Incorporative system of languages; 18. Congruence of sound-forms in languages with grammatical requirements; 19. Main division of languages, according to the purity of their formative principle; 20. Character of languages; 21. Power of languages to evolve felicitously from one to another; 22. Retrospect on the course of the inquiry so far; 23. Nature and origin of less perfect language-structure; 24. The Chinese language; 25. Whether the polysyllabic language-structure has evolved from the monosyllabic.

Summary

This classic study of human language 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 and philosophical context.

Product details

• Authors: et al, Wilhelm Humboldt, Wilhelm von Humboldt, Michael Losonsky, Humboldt Wilhelm von
• Assisted by: Michael Losonsky (Editor), Peter Heath (Translation)
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press Academic
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 31.12.2017
• EAN: 9780521667722
• ISBN: 978-0-521-66772-2
• Dimensions: 152 mm x 228 mm x 20 mm
• Series: Cambridge Texts in the History of Philosophy; Cambridge Texts in the History; Cambridge Texts in the History; Print on Demand
• Subjects: Education and learning > Teaching preparation > Vocational needs; Humanities, art, music > Linguistics and literary studies