叶斯泊森语言观评析

Exploring Jespersen's Thought on Language

叶斯泊森认为语言学家应忠实记录语言的使用情况,而不是人为地去规范语言的使用;应结合语言的发展史去研究语言,才能赋予语言理论最大的解释力;语言的本质是语言使用者的一种交际活动,必须结合使用者、使用情景、使用方式来考察语言;必须看到人类共同的生物基础和认知基础使得多样的语言中呈现出“人类共性成分”。以上观点可归纳为描写主义倾向、历史主义倾向、交际主义倾向、认知主义倾向。当今语言理论的发展事实验证了叶氏观点的科学性。

Jespersen maintains that a linguist should keep a loyal record of the happenings in the language rather than set up imaginary categories to prescribe its actual use. Language study should resort to its historical development so as to ensure the adequacy of theory. To understand the nature of language as a means of communication, a linguist should explore the relationship between the speaker and hearer in social surroundings. Attention should also be paid to the fact that a diversity of human languages exhibits ＂universal human element＂ due to the universal human biological and cognitive traits. By summarizing accordingly the above-mentioned points into four orientations, namely descriptive, historical, communicative, and cognitive, this article gives a detailed account of Jespersen＇s contributions and indicates that the subsequent development of linguistic science has proved the insight of his assumptions.