Trace the rise of a science: how scholars connected Greek, Latin, and Sanskrit to map the world’s languages.
This book surveys the history of comparative philology, from its early ideas in the 18th century to the development of modern methods. It highlights key figures, such as William Jones and August Schleicher, and explains how their work shifted the field from a focus on form to studying how languages change and relate over time.
- Learn how languages influence one another through sound changes and word meanings
- See how the New School and its principles reshaped the study of language history
- Discover the foundational works and scholars that shaped modern philology
- Understand how semantics and syntax began to be studied as parts of a whole language system
Ideal for readers of language history and students seeking a clear, era-spanning overview of comparative philology.