Essays in the History of Linguistics (review)

This book reprints selected papers by one of the foremost historians of linguistics working today. It is divided into four sections: ‘Programmatic papers in the history of linguistics’, ‘Studies in linguistic historiography’, ‘Sketches historiographical and (auto)biographical’, and ‘Addendum’ (which consists entirely of a bibliography of Zellig S. Harris’s writings). As space limitations preclude a full review of every paper, I shall instead mention several papers I particularly enjoyed. ‘Ideology, politics, and social science scholarship: On the responsibility of intellectuals’ (19–42) looks at connections between linguistics and ideology, focusing on Nazi Germany and more recent events in India. ‘Myths in the history of linguistics: The case of the goals of Georg Wenker’s dialectology’ (43–64) critically examines the widely held belief that Wenker’s nineteenth-century research on German dialects was intended to ‘either support or disprove the neogrammarian tenet of the exceptionlessness of sound laws’ (42). Koerner argues convincingly that Wenker did not see his work in this light (Wenker never made reference to Neogrammarian ideas in his published work, for instance), and that this belief is therefore a myth, most likely rooted in statements made by Wenker’s colleague Ferdinand Wrede. ‘The place of geology in W. D. Whitney’s linguistic argument’ (145–58) looks at ‘to what extent Whitney introduced notions derived from geology into linguistic theory and practice’ (146). K argues convincingly that while Whitney clearly saw parallels between linguistics and geology, he tended to view them as analogies, albeit useful ones.

While there is much to admire in this collection, a few criticisms should be made. There is a surprisingly high number of typographical errors, bibliographical mistakes, and stylistic glitches in the book. More importantly, some of the papers do not seem to fit with the others. For instance, ‘My Edinburgh connections, 1964–present’ (207–21), while certainly interesting reading, seems somewhat out of place in a collection of this kind. On a similar note, the Zellig Harris bibliography could also have safely been omitted, especially since at least two earlier versions have already been published. Leaving out such papers would have left space for articles of more general interest. Be that as it may, the advantages of this volume far outweigh its drawbacks. It is highly informative, and most historians of linguistics should find its contents of interest.