Book review
A History of Modern Linguistics: From the beginnings to World War II. By James McElvenny.
Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2024. x + 202 pp. ISBN 978-1-4744-7002-5 $ 120 (hardcover) / $ 29.95 (paperback)

Reviewed by Gerda Haßler
University of Potsdam
Publication history

Date received: 8 June 2024

Date accepted: 17 June 2024

Published online: 29 August 2024

Table of contents

James McElvenny’s book provides a historiographically and problem-historically sound overview of the most important trends in linguistics and linguistic theory in English- and German-speaking countries from the beginning of the 19th century to the end of the Second World War. An earlier version of the book was also used as a habilitation thesis, which he submitted to the University of Siegen in 2023.

Full-text access is restricted to subscribers. Log in to obtain additional credentials. For subscription information see Subscription & Price. Direct PDF access to this article can be purchased through our e-platform.

References

Arens, Hans
1969[1955] Sprachwissenschaft. Der Gang ihrer Entwicklung von der Antike bis zur Gegenwart. Freiburg i.Br., München: Alber.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Auroux, Sylvain, E. F. Konrad Koerner, Hans-Josef Niederehe & Kees Versteegh
eds. 2000–2006 History of the language sciences — Geschichte der Sprachwissenschaften — Histoire des sciences du langage. An international handbook on the evolution of the study of language from the beginnings to the present. 3 vols. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Benfey, Theodor
1869 Geschichte der Sprachwissenschaft und orientalischen Philologie in Deutschland, seit dem Anfange des 19. Jahrhunderts mit einem Rückblick auf die früheren Zeiten. München: Cottasche Buchhandlung.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Joseph, John
2012 Saussure. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Law, Vivien
2003 The history of linguistics in Europe. From Plato to 1600. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Lepschy, Giulio
ed. 1994–1998 History of linguistics. 4 vols. London: Addison Wesley Longman.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Morpurgo Davies, Anna
1998 History of Linguistics, vol. 4: Nineteenth-century Linguistics. London: Longman. (Volume 4 of the series Lepschy 1994–1998.)Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Nonnenmacher, Kai
2015 “Form and life between positivism and idealism”. Romanische Studien 1.171–190.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Robins, Robert H.
1967 A short history of linguistics. London: Routledge.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Saussure, Ferdinand de
2002 Écrits de linguistique générale. Texte établi par Simon Bouquet et Rudolf Engler. Paris: Éditions Gallimard.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
2011 Science du langage. De la double essence du langage. Edition des Ecrits de linguistique générale établie par René Amacker. Genève: Droz.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Sebeok, Thomas A.
ed. 1975 Historiography of linguistics. The Hague: Mouton. (Current Trends in Linguistics, vol. 13)Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Waugh, Linda R., Monique Monville-Burston & John E. Joseph
eds. 2023 The Cambridge History of Linguistics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
 
Mobile Menu Logo with link to supplementary files background Layer 1 prag Twitter_Logo_Blue