The Prague school or Prague linguistic circle is a language and literature society. It started in 1926 as a group of linguists, philologists and literary critics in Prague. Its proponents developed methods of structuralist literary analysis and a theory of the standard language and of language cultivation from 1928 to 1939. The linguistic circle was founded in the Café Derby in Prague, which is also where meetings took place during its first years.
The Prague School has had a significant continuing influence on linguistics and semiotics. After the Czechoslovak coup d'état of 1948, the circle was disbanded in 1952, but the Prague School continued as a major force in linguistic functionalism (distinct from the Copenhagen school or English Firthian – later Hallidean – linguistics). The American scholar Dell Hymes cites his 1962 paper "The Ethnography of Speaking" as the formal introduction of Prague functionalism to American linguistic anthropology. The Prague structuralists also had a significant influence on structuralist film theory, especially through the introduction of the ostensive sign.
Today the Prague linguistic circle is a scholarly society which aims to contribute to the knowledge of language and related sign systems according to functionally structural principles. To this end, it organizes regular meetings with lectures and debates, publishes professional publications, and organizes international meetings.
History
The Prague linguistic circle included the Russian émigrés Roman Jakobson, Nikolai Trubetzkoy, and , as well as the famous Czech literary scholars René Wellek and Jan Mukařovský. The instigator of the circle, and its first president until his death in 1945, was the Czech linguist Vilém Mathesius.
In 1929 the Circle promulgated its theses in a paper submitted to the First Congress of Slavists. "The programmatic 1929 Prague Theses, surely one of the most imposing linguistic edifices of the 20th century, incapsulated [sic] the functionalist credo." In the late 20th century, English translations of the Circle's seminal works were published by the Czech linguist in several collections.
Also in 1929, the group launched a journal, Travaux du Cercle Linguistique de Prague. World War II brought an end to it. The Travaux was briefly resurrected in 1966–1971. The inaugural issue was devoted to the political science concept of center and periphery. It was resurrected yet again in 1995. The group's Czech language work is published in Slovo a slovesnost (Word and Literature).
Members
- Bohuslav Havránek
- Roman Jakobson
- Sergei Kartsevski
- Vilém Mathesius
- Jan Mukařovský
- Vladimír Skalička
- Nikolai Trubetzkoy
- René Wellek
- Ludwig Winder
Contributors
- Aleksandar Belić, president of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts
- Émile Benveniste
- Karl Bühler
- Daniel Jones
- André Martinet
- Ladislav Matějka
- Lucien Tesnière
- Valentin Voloshinov
Influences
- Jan Baudouin de Courtenay
- Filipp Fortunatov, the founder of the Moscow linguistic circle
- Anton Marty
- Ferdinand de Saussure
Influenced
- Noam Chomsky
- Joseph Greenberg
- Jiří Levý
- Dell Hymes
- Alf Sommerfelt
- Jože Toporišič
- Michael Halliday
- Viktor Shklovsky
- Michael Silverstein
- Jan Firbas
- Lubomír Doležel
- Austin Warren
- Jan Baudouin de Courtenay
- Louis Hjelmslev
- Jaroslav Vacek
- Jaroslav Peregrin
- Miroslav Komárek
- Tartu–Moscow Semiotic School
See also
- Czech studies
- Functional generative description
- Markedness
- Moscow linguistic circle
- OPOJAZ
- Russian formalism
- Topic and comment
References
- Czech: Pražský lingvistický kroužek, Russian: Пражский лингвистический кружок Pražskij lingvističeskij kružok, French: Cercle linguistique de Prague.
- George Steiner. Linguistics and Poetics. In Extraterritorial. 1972. 137ff.
- "Semiotic poetics of the Prague School (Prague School)": entry in the Encyclopedia Or Contemporary Literary Theory: Approaches, Scholars, Terms, University of Toronto Press, 1993.
- Roman Jakobson: My Futurist Years, New York 1992, p. 86
- Hymes, Dell (1982). "Prague Functionalism". American Anthropologist. 84 (2): 398–399. doi:10.1525/aa.1982.84.2.02a00130.
- Acting and Performance in Moving Image Culture: Bodies, Screens, Renderings. p. 307
- "Pražský lingvistický kroužek". cercledeprague.org. Retrieved 2020-06-02.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. "Vilém Mathesius". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
{{cite web}}:|last1=has generic name (help) - Luelsdorf, Philip A. (1983). On Praguian functionalism and some extensions. In Josef Vachek, Libuše Dušková, (eds.). Praguiana: Some Basic and Less Known Aspects of The Prague Linguistic School. John Benjamins. Linguistic and literary studies in Eastern Europe; 12. p. xvi
- Wolfgang Müller-Funk, The Architecture of Modern Culture: Towards a Narrative Cultural Theory, Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin (2012) - Google Books pg. 260
- Ludwig Winder - Jewish Virtual Library
- Glenda Abramson, Ludwig Winder - Encyclopedia of Modern Jewish Culture, Routledge, Vol 1, (2005) pgs. 956-957
- V. Ambros, "Prague Linguistic Circle in English: Semantic Shifts in Selected Texts and Their Consequences", Theatralia, 2014, 17(2): 148–161, esp. 155.
- Roman Jakobson (1933), "La scuola linguistica di Praga", La cultura 12, 633–641, esp. p. 637.
- Linguistics. Volume 7, Issue 53, pages 100–127.
Bibliography
- Luelsdorf, Philip A. (1983). On Praguian functionalism and some extensions. In Josef Vachek, Libuše Dušková, (eds.). Praguiana: Some Basic and Less Known Aspects of The Prague Linguistic School. John Benjamins. Linguistic and literary studies in Eastern Europe; 12. pp. xi-xxx.
- Sériot, Patrick (2014). Structure and the Whole: East, West and Non-Darwinian Biology in the Origins of Structural Linguistics. (Semiotics, Communication and Cognition 12.) Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton.
- Toman, Jindřich (1995). The Magic of a Common Language: Jakobson, Mathesius, Trubetzkoy, and the Prague Linguistic Circle. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press. ISBN 0-262-20096-1
External links
- (in Czech) Current homepage
- The Prague Linguistic Circle homepage at the Library of Congress Web Archives (archived 2013-01-02) (includes a list of publications about the Circle)
- (in French) Dynamique du système linguistique - numéro thématique de l'Echo des études romanes consacré à la théorie de potentialité (Vilém Mathesius)
- (in French) Centre-périphérie dans le système linguistique - numéro thématique de l'Echo des études romanes consacré à l'optique centro-périphérique, une théorie élaborée au sein du Cercle linguistique de Prague
- Perspective fonctionnelle de la phrase - l'apport du Cercle de Prague - numéro thématique de l'Echo des études romanes
The Prague school or Prague linguistic circle is a language and literature society It started in 1926 as a group of linguists philologists and literary critics in Prague Its proponents developed methods of structuralist literary analysis and a theory of the standard language and of language cultivation from 1928 to 1939 The linguistic circle was founded in the Cafe Derby in Prague which is also where meetings took place during its first years The Prague School has had a significant continuing influence on linguistics and semiotics After the Czechoslovak coup d etat of 1948 the circle was disbanded in 1952 but the Prague School continued as a major force in linguistic functionalism distinct from the Copenhagen school or English Firthian later Hallidean linguistics The American scholar Dell Hymes cites his 1962 paper The Ethnography of Speaking as the formal introduction of Prague functionalism to American linguistic anthropology The Prague structuralists also had a significant influence on structuralist film theory especially through the introduction of the ostensive sign Today the Prague linguistic circle is a scholarly society which aims to contribute to the knowledge of language and related sign systems according to functionally structural principles To this end it organizes regular meetings with lectures and debates publishes professional publications and organizes international meetings HistoryThe Prague linguistic circle included the Russian emigres Roman Jakobson Nikolai Trubetzkoy and as well as the famous Czech literary scholars Rene Wellek and Jan Mukarovsky The instigator of the circle and its first president until his death in 1945 was the Czech linguist Vilem Mathesius In 1929 the Circle promulgated its theses in a paper submitted to the First Congress of Slavists The programmatic 1929 Prague Theses surely one of the most imposing linguistic edifices of the 20th century incapsulated sic the functionalist credo In the late 20th century English translations of the Circle s seminal works were published by the Czech linguist in several collections Also in 1929 the group launched a journal Travaux du Cercle Linguistique de Prague World War II brought an end to it The Travaux was briefly resurrected in 1966 1971 The inaugural issue was devoted to the political science concept of center and periphery It was resurrected yet again in 1995 The group s Czech language work is published in Slovo a slovesnost Word and Literature MembersProper members cs ru cs pl cs pl de Bohuslav Havranek cs pl cs pl ru Roman Jakobson Sergei Kartsevski cs cs Vilem Mathesius Jan Mukarovsky cs Vladimir Skalicka cs cs de pl Nikolai Trubetzkoy cs pl cs pl Rene Wellek Ludwig Winder Contributors Aleksandar Belic president of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts Emile Benveniste Karl Buhler ru Daniel Jones Andre Martinet Ladislav Matejka Lucien Tesniere Valentin Voloshinov Influences Jan Baudouin de Courtenay Filipp Fortunatov the founder of the Moscow linguistic circle Anton Marty Ferdinand de Saussure Influenced Noam Chomsky Joseph Greenberg Jiri Levy Dell Hymes Alf Sommerfelt Joze Toporisic Michael Halliday Viktor Shklovsky es Michael Silverstein Jan Firbas Lubomir Dolezel Austin Warren Jan Baudouin de Courtenay Louis Hjelmslev Jaroslav Vacek Jaroslav Peregrin Miroslav Komarek Tartu Moscow Semiotic SchoolSee alsoCzech studies Functional generative description Markedness Moscow linguistic circle OPOJAZ Russian formalism Topic and commentReferencesCzech Prazsky lingvisticky krouzek Russian Prazhskij lingvisticheskij kruzhok Prazskij lingvisticeskij kruzok French Cercle linguistique de Prague George Steiner Linguistics and Poetics In Extraterritorial 1972 137ff Semiotic poetics of the Prague School Prague School entry in the Encyclopedia Or Contemporary Literary Theory Approaches Scholars Terms University of Toronto Press 1993 Roman Jakobson My Futurist Years New York 1992 p 86 Hymes Dell 1982 Prague Functionalism American Anthropologist 84 2 398 399 doi 10 1525 aa 1982 84 2 02a00130 Acting and Performance in Moving Image Culture Bodies Screens Renderings p 307 Prazsky lingvisticky krouzek cercledeprague org Retrieved 2020 06 02 The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Vilem Mathesius Encyclopaedia Britannica Retrieved 9 January 2019 a href wiki Template Cite web title Template Cite web cite web a last1 has generic name help Luelsdorf Philip A 1983 On Praguian functionalism and some extensions In Josef Vachek Libuse Duskova eds Praguiana Some Basic and Less Known Aspects of The Prague Linguistic School John Benjamins Linguistic and literary studies in Eastern Europe 12 p xvi Wolfgang Muller Funk The Architecture of Modern Culture Towards a Narrative Cultural Theory Walter de Gruyter GmbH Berlin 2012 Google Books pg 260 Ludwig Winder Jewish Virtual Library Glenda Abramson Ludwig Winder Encyclopedia of Modern Jewish Culture Routledge Vol 1 2005 pgs 956 957 V Ambros Prague Linguistic Circle in English Semantic Shifts in Selected Texts and Their Consequences Theatralia 2014 17 2 148 161 esp 155 Roman Jakobson 1933 La scuola linguistica di Praga La cultura 12 633 641 esp p 637 Linguistics Volume 7 Issue 53 pages 100 127 BibliographyLuelsdorf Philip A 1983 On Praguian functionalism and some extensions In Josef Vachek Libuse Duskova eds Praguiana Some Basic and Less Known Aspects of The Prague Linguistic School John Benjamins Linguistic and literary studies in Eastern Europe 12 pp xi xxx Seriot Patrick 2014 Structure and the Whole East West and Non Darwinian Biology in the Origins of Structural Linguistics Semiotics Communication and Cognition 12 Berlin De Gruyter Mouton Toman Jindrich 1995 The Magic of a Common Language Jakobson Mathesius Trubetzkoy and the Prague Linguistic Circle Cambridge Massachusetts The MIT Press ISBN 0 262 20096 1External links in Czech Current homepage The Prague Linguistic Circle homepage at the Library of Congress Web Archives archived 2013 01 02 includes a list of publications about the Circle in French Dynamique du systeme linguistique numero thematique de l Echo des etudes romanes consacre a la theorie de potentialite Vilem Mathesius in French Centre peripherie dans le systeme linguistique numero thematique de l Echo des etudes romanes consacre a l optique centro peripherique une theorie elaboree au sein du Cercle linguistique de Prague Perspective fonctionnelle de la phrase l apport du Cercle de Prague numero thematique de l Echo des etudes romanes
