From Philology to English Studies: Language and Culture in the Nineteenth Century

The study of English language and literature in Britain changed dramatically between the end of the eighteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth. From Philology to English Studies explores the contribution of philology to this evolution. Haruko Momma charts both the rise and fall of philology from antiquity to the late eighteenth century, and the impact of modern philology on the study of modern languages and literatures. Focusing in detail on the work of key philologists in the nineteenth century, Momma considers how they shaped European discourse and especially vernacular studies in Britain: William Jones' discovery of Sanskrit in British India gave rise to Indo-European studies; Max M ller's study of this same language helped spread the Aryan myth to the English-speaking world; the OED achieved its greatness as a post-national lexicon through the editorship of the Scottish dialectologist.

Author: Haruko Momma
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 10/04/2012
Pages: 238
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.05lbs
Size: 9.10h x 5.90w x 0.70d
ISBN: 9780521518864

About the Author
Momma, Haruko: - Haruko Momma is Professor of English at New York University. Her previous publications include The Composition of Old English Poetry (Cambridge University Press, 2007).