Georg Stiernhielm. Linguistic works, volume 2 : Etymology, historical and comparative language studies and programme for the renewal of the Swedish language: Unpublished manuscripts and early prints edited with introduction, translation of De linguarum origine praefatio and reception studies

Abstract

This is the second of two volumes that provide a textual edition of the linguistic writings of the Swedish polymath Georg Stiernhielm (1598–1672). On the basis of his unpublished manuscripts and early prints, this volume presents a textual edition of his writings on etymology (Chapters 7–9), on historical and comparative linguistics (Chapters 10–13) and on a programme for the renewal of the Swedish language (Chapters 16–17) as preserved in unpublished manuscripts and some prints. Moreover, a record of the public dispute between Stiernhielm and Terserus is edited (Chapter 14), as is also Stiernhielm’s autograph catalogue of his holdings of linguistic literature and source texts, viz. dictionaries, textual samples and treatises for research on language origins (Chapter 15). The textual edition is preceded by an introduction to the political and cultural contexts of Stiernhielm’s linguistic theories on these topics, as well as to the early development of historical-comparative language studies, to Stiernhielm’s achievements of in this field of study, and finally to his unpublished etymological, universal and bilingual lexicography. The textual edition is followed by a reception study on Stiernhielm as a historical linguist and language renewer.