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Philology/Philologist/Philologer |
Though it is
difficult to find a single designation that accurately describes Owen Barfield,
perhaps "philologist" captures best the nature of Barfield's
achievements as a writer and scholar.
Here is the
entry on "philology" from
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
(©
1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.):
n. [L.
philologia love of learning, interpretation, philology, Gr. ?: cf. F.
philologie. . . .
1. Criticism;
grammatical learning. [R.] --Johnson.
2. The study of language, especially in a philosophical manner and as a
science; the investigation of the laws of human speech, the relation of
different tongues to one another, and historical development of languages;
linguistic science.
Note: Philology comprehends a knowledge of the etymology, or origin and
combination of words; grammar, the construction of sentences, or use of words
in language; criticism, the interpretation of authors, the affinities of
different languages, and whatever relates to the history or present state of
languages. It sometimes includes rhetoric, poetry, history, and antiquities.
3. A treatise on the science of language.
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