普遍语法、对比语言学及语言类型学的由来

The Origin of Universal Grammar, Contrastive Linguistics and Linguistic Typology

普遍语法(grammaticæ generalis)孕育了比较语法(comparatio grammaticæ,非亲缘关系),比较语法充实了普遍语法。阿尔斯特(1630)最早在“对比语言学”意义上使用“比较语法”,谢贝兰(1774)最早清晰阐明了“普遍语法和比较语法”。19世纪,伐特(1801)倡导“比较语言研究”;施莱格尔兄弟(1808,1818)提出“语言结构类型”;洪堡特(1810,1820,1836)彰显“比较语言研究”或“普通比较语法”。20世纪,博杜恩(1902)提出了语言“比较”的三种类型;叶斯柏森(1924)意欲建立“新的比较语法”;沃尔夫(1941)明确区分了“比较语言学”和“对比语言学”。对比语言学经历了普遍语法视野下的语言结构类型探讨、面向语言教学的语言异同对比、基于文化相对论的语言类型研究,迄今已开枝散叶;而语言类型研究逐步脱离了母体,形成一门新的分支学科。

Universal grammar breeds comparative grammar,which represents contrastive linguistics,rather than language kinship comparison in another sense,and comparative grammar enriches universal grammar in turn.In the year of 1630,Alsted was the first to propose the terminology of“comparatio grammaticae”,referring to language kinship comparison.It is acknowledged that Shebellan(1774)was the pioneer concerning“universal grammar and comparative grammar”study.In the 19th century,Vater(1801)advocated“comparative studies of languages”;the Schlegel brothers(1808,1818)proposed“the types of language structure”;Humboldt(1810,1820,and 1836)promoted“comparative studies of languages”or“general comparative grammar”.In the 20th century,Baudouin(1902)proposed three types of language comparison;Jespersen(1924)intended to establish a new comparative grammar.It was not until 1941 that Wolf clearly distinguished“comparative linguistics”from“contrastive linguistics.”Having gone through the stages of discussing language structures types from the perspective of universal grammar,comparing similarities and differences of languages in applied linguistics field,and investigating language logic based on cultural relativity,contrastive linguistics has established various fields.The study of linguistic typology broke away from its host subject in the early 20th century,and has formed a modern linguistic typology since the 1950s.