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The Philology of the Vernacular
- Journal of Folklore Research
- Indiana University Press
- Volume 45, Number 1, January-April 2008
- pp. 29-36
- 10.2979/jfr.2008.45.1.29
- Article
- Additional Information
I suggest in this essay that the prevailing theoretical orientation of American folklore study might best be identified as the philology of the vernacular. In the course of the essay, I outline the major tenets of this orientation, identify its principal scholarly inflections, and suggest some of its potential implications.