Edition Practices

Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin | Edition Practices | Current Edition Projects | Berlin Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften | Wilhelm von Humboldt: Schriften zur Sprachwissenschaft [Wilhelm von Humboldt: Writings on Linguistics]

Wilhelm von Humboldt: Schriften zur Sprachwissenschaft [Wilhelm von Humboldt: Writings on Linguistics]

In this project, Humboldt’s empirical studies of a large number of the world’s languages are being edited for the first time, on the basis of manuscripts in the author’s legacy. Under the responsability of PD Dr. Bettina Lindorfer.
The project opens up a new perspective on Humboldt’s linguistic thinking, which until now has been understood almost solely under theoretical and philosophical aspects. However, it is only by examining Humboldt’s practical work in the description of real languages that the full range of his linguistic thought can be grasped and his historical and anthropological model of the study of comparative linguistics be fully understood.
 
At the heart of the project are Humboldt’s studies of Basque, the languages of the Americas, Sanskrit, Ancient Egyptian, Chinese, Old Javanese and other languages, with Humboldt’s characteristic combination of empirical and theoretical approaches. The edition also includes texts by Humboldt that are not directly concerned with linguistics, but which illuminate the formation and development of his ideas on language. His correspondence on linguistic topics, which had been ignored until now in research on Humboldt, is also included.
 
This project is funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and is a member of the Research Centre "Prussia - Berlin" at the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities.