His birthday (1-4-1887) was noted during my 2018 Linguistic Birthdays
sequence. He was still very influential in linguistics when I began to
learn about it in the 1960s, particularly for his book _Language_ (1933).

Crystal has a quote from Chapter 2 of that book:

"The most difficult step in the study of language is the first step.
Again and again, scholarship has approached the study of language
without actually entering upon it. Linguistic science arose from
relatively practical preoccupations, such as the use of writing, the
study of literature and especially of older records, and the
prescription of elegant speech, but people can spend any amount of time
on these things without actually entering into linguistic study."

Ar an fichiú lá de mí Aibreán, scríobh Ross Clark:

> His birthday (1-4-1887) was noted during my 2018 Linguistic Birthdays
> sequence. He was still very influential in linguistics when I began to learn
> about it in the 1960s, particularly for his book _Language_ (1933).
>
> Crystal has a quote from Chapter 2 of that book:
>
> "The most difficult step in the study of language is the first step. Again
> and again, scholarship has approached the study of language without actually
> entering upon it. Linguistic science arose from relatively practical
> preoccupations, such as the use of writing, the study of literature and
> especially of older records, and the prescription of elegant speech, but
> people can spend any amount of time on these things without actually
> entering into linguistic study."

A very small-tent approach, odd to take it as someone academically senior, who
might be thought to have reason to increase his area of interest. Rules out
PTD’s ‘The World’s Writing Systems’ for one.

--
‘As I sat looking up at the Guinness ad, I could never figure out /
How your man stayed up on the surfboard after fourteen pints of stout’
(C. Moore)

On 20/04/2024 7:46 p.m., Aidan Kehoe wrote:
>
> Ar an fichiú lá de mí Aibreán, scríobh Ross Clark:
>
> > His birthday (1-4-1887) was noted during my 2018 Linguistic Birthdays
> > sequence. He was still very influential in linguistics when I began to learn
> > about it in the 1960s, particularly for his book _Language_ (1933).
> >
> > Crystal has a quote from Chapter 2 of that book:
> >
> > "The most difficult step in the study of language is the first step. Again
> > and again, scholarship has approached the study of language without actually
> > entering upon it. Linguistic science arose from relatively practical
> > preoccupations, such as the use of writing, the study of literature and
> > especially of older records, and the prescription of elegant speech, but
> > people can spend any amount of time on these things without actually
> > entering into linguistic study."
>
> A very small-tent approach, odd to take it as someone academically senior, who
> might be thought to have reason to increase his area of interest. Rules out
> PTD’s ‘The World’s Writing Systems’ for one.

But PTD did not spend his whole life studying writing! He did enter into
linguistic study (even read Bloomfield, and was taught by one of his
students). This study undoubtedly informed his treatment of writing
systems.

Plus, I don't think Bloomfield is saying these other areas of study are
worthless -- just that they should be distinguished from linguistic science.

Ar an fichiú lá de mí Aibreán, scríobh Ross Clark:

> > [...] A very small-tent approach, odd to take it as someone academically
> > senior, who might be thought to have reason to increase his area of
> > interest. Rules out PTD’s ‘The World’s Writing Systems’ for one.
>
> But PTD did not spend his whole life studying writing!

Indeed he did not.

> He did enter into linguistic study (even read Bloomfield, and was taught by
> one of his students). This study undoubtedly informed his treatment of
> writing systems.
>
> Plus, I don't think Bloomfield is saying these other areas of study are
> worthless -- just that they should be distinguished from linguistic science.

I think a natural approach is to say that they are part of linguistic science.

--
‘As I sat looking up at the Guinness ad, I could never figure out /
How your man stayed up on the surfboard after fourteen pints of stout’
(C. Moore)

On 2024-04-20, Aidan Kehoe <kehoea@parhasard.net> wrote:

> > "The most difficult step in the study of language is the first step. Again
> > and again, scholarship has approached the study of language without actually
> > entering upon it. Linguistic science arose from relatively practical
> > preoccupations, such as the use of writing, the study of literature and
> > especially of older records, and the prescription of elegant speech, but
> > people can spend any amount of time on these things without actually
> > entering into linguistic study."
>
> A very small-tent approach, odd to take it as someone academically senior, who
> might be thought to have reason to increase his area of interest. Rules out
> PTD’s ‘The World’s Writing Systems’ for one.

It's not clear to me that the systematic study of writing systems
is covered by the preoccupations listed above. I think it translates
to "people's musings about language before 1800 or so", with a few
notable exceptions (Pāṇini, First Grammarian).

--
Christian "naddy" Weisgerber naddy@mips.inka.de