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Article In: Historiographia Linguistica: Online-First Articles

New insights into Leonard Bloomfield’s early life and career

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Summary
Since relatively little is known about Leonard Bloomfield’s early life and career, this article aims to shed new light on it with the help of archival and other sources. While some additional information on Bloomfield’s early life is provided, the focus of the article is on Bloomfield’s years at the University of Illinois (1910–1921), especially his promotion to Assistant Professor of Comparative Philology and German, his study of non-Indo-European languages and his resignation following an offer from the Ohio State University. Arguably, the most important finding is that Bloomfield himself initiated the discussions on the introduction of courses in general and comparative linguistics at the University of Illinois and that the implementation of his proposal led to his promotion and a year’s stay in Germany.
Résumé
Comme on sait relativement peu de choses sur les débuts de la vie et de la carrière de Leonard Bloomfield, cet article entend apporter un éclairage nouveau sur le sujet à l’aide d’archives et d’autres sources. Même si l’article fournit quelques informations supplémentaires sur les débuts de la vie de Bloomfield, il se concentre principalement sur ses années à l’université de l’Illinois (1910–1921), en particulier sur sa promotion au poste d’Assistant Professor of Comparative Philology and German, ses recherches sur les langues non indo-européennes et sa démission à la suite d’une offre de l’Université d’État de l’Ohio. On peut sans doute considérer comme la découverte la plus importante que ce soit Bloomfield lui-même qui ait lancé les discussions sur l’introduction de cours de linguistique générale et comparée à l’université de l’Illinois, et que la mise en œuvre de sa proposition ait conduit à sa promotion et à un séjour d’un an en Allemagne.
Zusammenfassung
Über Leonard Bloomfields frühes Leben und frühe Karriere ist vergleichsweise wenig bekannt. Im vorliegenden Beitrag wird versucht, mithilfe von Archivmaterial und anderen Quellen neues Licht auf die frühen Jahre des Gelehrten zu werfen. Neben einigen zusätzlichen Informationen zu Bloomfields frühem Leben stehen seine Jahre an der University of Illinois (1910–1921) im Mittelpunkt des Beitrags, insbesondere seine Beförderung zum Assistant Professor of Comparative Philology and German, seine Studien zu nicht-indogermanischen Sprachen und sein Rücktritt nach einem Ruf von der Ohio State University. Die wohl wichtigste Erkenntnis ist, dass es Bloomfield selbst war, der die Diskussionen über die Einführung von Lehrveranstaltungen zur allgemeinen und vergleichenden Sprachwissenschaft an der University of Illinois anstieß und dass die Umsetzung seines Vorschlags zu seiner Beförderung sowie einem einjährigen Aufenthalt in Deutschland führte.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Sources
  • 3.Early life, family and first jobs (1887–1910)
  • 4.The early years at the University of Illinois (1910–1914)
    • 4.1The first two years (1910–1912)
    • 4.2Discussions culminating in Bloomfield’s promotion (1912–1913)
    • 4.3A year in Germany (1913–1914)
  • 5.Later years at the University of Illinois (1914–1920)
    • 5.1General linguistics and Tagalog (1914–1917)
    • 5.2The consequences of World War I (1917–1919)
    • 5.3The study of Fox and Menominee and a move to China that never happened (1919–1920)
  • 6.An irresistible offer from the Ohio State University (1920–1921)
  • 7.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • Author queries
  • References
References (107)
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