| From the perspective of historiography and by application of the research methodology of the history of linguistics, the present dissertation studies French linguistics (1865～1965) against the general background of Western linguistics and in the tradition of French culture and its influence on Chinese linguistics. The dissertation identifies and comments on major French linguists and their achievements in this period and elaborates on how French linguistic theory and research were introduced to and transmitted in China, and finally analyzes the influence of French linguistic thinking on Chinese linguistics.Chapter one of the dissertation is a general introduction to the significance of the research, a literature review of previous researches in the field and a proposal of research questions and research methodology. Chapter two is an introduction to the historical background for the establishment of modern French linguistics, an outline of the development of French linguistics in1865～1965and its institutionalization and an elaboration of Saussure’s influence on French linguistics. Chapter three elaborates on its major research fields and their respective achievements, presents a summary of French linguistic thinking and provides a case analysis of Vendryes’ Langage (1921) with the purpose of revealing how this thinking is realized in a particular work. Chapter four discusses three means by which French linguistic thinking was introduced to and transmitted in China. Chapter five conducts five case studies of nine works, aiming at finding out the elements of French linguistics in them and showing their influence on Chinese linguistics. Chapter six is an outline of the influence of French linguistic thinking on different branches of Chinese linguistics and an analysis of its characteristics. Chapter seven is conclusion, evaluating French linguistics and its influence on Chinese linguistics, pointing out the inherent defects in the research and proposing new research topics for the future.The research discovers that French linguistics developed in a different way from the general Western tradition. Influenced by rationalism, France lagged behind more than fifty years in historical comparative linguistics, but it caught up rapidly and made its due contribution by broadening the scope of languages studied and refining the theoretical foundation. Led by Meillet, French linguistics insisted on the historical thought in the study of linguistic change and concentrated on the research on the social characteristics of language. General linguistics, dialectology, and dialect geography all embrace flavor of Frecnh linguistics. With the diversification of linguistic studies in France,"the philosophical turn of linguistics" appeared first in France in the1950s of the20’century, with the result that linguistic issues became the means for resolving philosophical problems. From1865to1965, within the linguistic circle of France, many stars achieved outstanding results and greatly contributed to the development of world linguistics. French linguistic thinking was transmitted to China through Chinese scholars studying in France and the translation of French linguistic works in China, mainly reflected in the frequent quotation of content and ideas of French linguistic works in linguistic works by Chinese scholars and their linguistic research activities.The research boasts two innovations. First, it is the first elaboration of French linguistic thinking in1865-1965in China, helpful for our overall understanding of the development of French linguistics in particular and Western linguistics in general. Second, it is an initial systematic summary of how Chinese scholars accepted France’s linguistics and applied and developed it in their own linguistic researches, especially in Chinese grammar. The research is of practical value in investigating this period to find out the gains and losses in this process and in improving the theoretical level of Chinese linguistics. It can also help us recreate China’s linguistics in that period and provide evidence for writing the history of modern Chinese linguistics.The research can enhance our understanding of French linguistic thinking, make up for the insufficient knowledge of French linguistics, enable us to have an overall understanding of the history of Western linguistics, break the monotonous situation of researches on history of linguistics in China, and supplement Chinese linguistic researches by introduction of diversified research ideas, perspectives and methods. It is also of help for us to have a clear idea of how French linguistics was transmitted into China and what influences it had on Chinese linguistics, thus enabling us to evaluate objectively the gains and losses of the process of "influence and acceptance"... |
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