A 17th-Century Demonstration of Language Relationship: Meric Casaubon on English and Greek

John F. Eros
Charlottesville, Virginia
Summary

In 1650 Meric Casaubon (1599–1671) published a treatise in which he systematically presented rules for demonstrating language relationship; in his study he applied these rules to English and Greek. The explicitness of his theoretical formulations and the examples contained in his practical application of these rules offer a splendid opportunity for pinpointing the causes of the backwardness of historical linguistics in its so-called prescientific period. Careful observation of Casaubon’s presentation shows that it was his formulation of the rules of generally permissible phonetic changes, more than anything else, that prevented him from writing a really good study.

Quick links
Full-text access is restricted to subscribers. Log in to obtain additional credentials. For subscription information see Subscription & Price. Direct PDF access to this article can be purchased through our e-platform.

References

Aventinus, Johannes
(1477–1534) 1881–1908 Johannes Turmair genannt Aventinus sämmtliche Werke. Ed. by Karl Felix von Haim et al.. 6 vols. in 7. Munich: Christian Kaiser.Google Scholar
Bonfante, Giuliano
1955 “Una descrizione linguistica d’Europa del 1614”. Paideia 10.224–27.Google Scholar
Brerewood, Edward
(1565?-1613) 1614 Enqviries tovching the Diversity of Languages; and Religions through the cheife Parts of the World. Ed. by Sir Robert Brerewood (1588–1654) London: J. Bill.Google Scholar
Cam(b)den, William
(1551–1623) 1605 Remaines of a Greater Worke, concerning Britaine; the inhabitants thereof, their languages, names, surnames, empreses, wise speeches, poesies, and epitaphes. London: G. E. for Simon Waterson.Google Scholar
Casaubon, Meric
(1599–1671) 1650 De quatuor Unguis commentationis; pars prior: quae, De lingua Hebraica: et, De lingua Saxonica. London: M. Flesher & R. Mynne.Google Scholar
Eros, John F(rancis)
1972 Diachronic Linguistic Theories in Seventeenth-century England, with special attention to the theories of Meric Casaubon. Ph.D. diss., Madison, Wis.: Univ. of Wisconsin.Google Scholar
Gelenius, Sigismundus Zigmund Hrubý z Jelení or Siegmund Ghelen
1497–1554) 1537 Lexicon symphonum. Basel: M. Frobenius & N. Bischop (Episcopius).Google Scholar
Goropius Becanus, Johannes Jan van Gorp
1518–72) 1580 Opera… hactenus in lucem non edita: nempe Hermathena, Hieroglyphica, Vetum-nus, Gallica, Francica, Hispanica. Ed. by Laevinus Torrentius (alias Liévin van der Becke 1525–95) Antwerp: C. Plantinus.Google Scholar
Metcalf, George J.
1953 “Abraham Mylius on Historical Linguistics”. PMLA 68.535–54. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Myl(ius), Abraham van der
(1563–1637) 1612 Lingua Belgica; sive, De Linguae illius communitate cum plerisque alijs, tum praesertim cum Latinâ, Graecâ, Persicâ;… Leyden: Abraham Commelin.Google Scholar
Scaliger, Joseph Justus
(1540–1609) 1610 Opuscula varia antehac non edita. Paris: Hieronymus Drouart.Google Scholar
Verstegen, Richard
(fl 1565–1620) 1605 A Restitution of Decayed Intelligence, in Antiquities; concerning the most noble and renowned English nation. Antwerp: R. Bruney. (Other ed., London: J. Bill 1628.)Google Scholar
Wilkins, John
(1614–72) 1668 An Essay towards a Real Character, and a Philosophical Language. London: Sa. Gellibrand for John Martin.Google Scholar