In this paper we propose a critical discussion of the rationale for this volume. After a short introduction (Section 1), an outline of the long-standing opposition between language particular description and universal grammar in the history of the language sciences is provided (Section 2). This… read more
It is widely appreciated that the linguistic category of possession does not reduce to any single, familiar value, such as ownership. A moment’s thought reveals the extraordinary variety of the relationships coded by possessive constructions. (Langacker 1991: 169)In this paper we investigate the… read more
The paper essays to give a brief survey of the imposing and complex work of Giacomo Devoto (1897–1974), with particular emphasis on its principal traits seen both from the point of view of the history of linguistics and its scientific significance. Especial attention is drawn first of all to… read more
The author aims to show that Friedrich Engels’ linguistic researches, especially in his Der fränkische Dialekt, are to be considered within the same theoretical framework of historic materialism which underlies his more comprehensive studies on the history of primitive peoples, such as the… read more