Languages of Science in the Eighteenth Century

Open Access Published by De Gruyter Mouton 2011

Languages of Science in the Eighteenth Century

Edited by: Britt-Louise Gunnarsson

https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110255065

Overview
Contents

About this book

The eighteenth century is an important period both in the history of science and in the history of languages. Interest in science, and especially in the useful sciences, exploded and a new, modern approach to scientific discovery and the accumulation of knowledge emerged. It was during this century, too, that ideas on language and language practice began to change. Latin had been more or less the only written language used for scientific purposes, but gradually the vernaculars became established as fully acceptable alternatives for scientific writing. The period is of interest, moreover, from a genre-historical point of view. Encyclopedias, dictionaries and also correspondence played a key role in the spread of scientific ideas. At the time, writing on scientific matters was not as distinct from fiction, poetry or religious texts as it is today, a fact which also gave a creative liberty to individual writers.

In this volume, seventeen authors explore, from a variety of angles, the construction of a scientific language and discourse. The chapters are thematically organized into four sections, each contributing to our understanding of this dynamic period in the history of science: their themes are the forming of scientific communities, the emergence of new languages of science, the spread of scientific ideas, and the development of scientific writing. A particular focus is placed on the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778). From the point of view of the natural sciences, Linnaeus is renowned for his principles for defining genera and species of organisms and his creation of a uniform system for naming them. From the standpoint of this volume, however, he is also of interest as an example of a European scientist of the eighteenth century.

This volume is unique both in its broad linguistic approach - including studies on textlinguistics, stylistics, sociolinguistics, lexicon and nomenclature - and in its combination of language studies, philosophy of language, history and sociology of science. The book covers writing in different European languages: Swedish, German, French, English, Latin, Portuguese, and Russian. With its focus on the history of scientific language and discourse during a dynamic period in Europe, the book promises to contribute to new insights both for readers interested in language history and those with an interest in the history of ideas and thought.

Author / Editor information

Britt-Louise Gunnarsson, Uppsala University, Sweden.

Reviews

"This volume is remarkable in its broad linguistic approach, both promising and offering new insights."
Rolf Kemmler in: Linguist List 23.2358

Topics

Frontmatter Open Access Download PDF	I
Contents Open Access Download PDF	V
Contributors Open Access Download PDF	VII
Editor’s acknowledgements Open Access Download PDF	XI
Introduction
Introduction: Languages of science in the eighteenth century Britt-Louise Gunnarsson Open Access Download PDF	3
Section 1. The forming of scientific communities
Church, state, university, and the printing press: Conditions for the emergence and maintenance of autonomy of scientific publication in Europe Charles Bazerman Open Access Download PDF	25
Philology in the eighteenth century: Europe and Sweden Gunilla Gren-Eklund Open Access Download PDF	45
The Swedish Academy of Sciences: Language policy and language practice Ulf Teleman Open Access Download PDF	63
Section 2. The emergence of new languages of science
Scientific literacy in eighteenth-century Germany Renata Schellenberg Open Access Download PDF	91
From vernacular to national language: Language planning and the discourse of science in eighteenth-century Sweden Anna Helga Hannesdóttir Open Access Download PDF	107
From Latin and Swedish to Latin in Swedish. On the early modern emergence of a professional vernacular variety in Sweden Lars Wollin Open Access Download PDF	123
Science and natural language in the eighteenth century: Buffon and Linnaeus Richard Sörman Open Access Download PDF	141
From theory of ideas to theory of succedaneum: The Linnaean botanical nomenclature(s) as “a point of view on the world” Philippe Selosse Open Access Download PDF	157
Section 3. The spread of scientific ideas
Linnaeus’s international correspondence. The spread of a revolution Ann-Mari Jönsson Open Access Download PDF	171
The influence of Carl Linnaeus on the Encyclopaedia Britannica of 1771 Rosemarie Gläser Open Access Download PDF	193
Linnaeus and the Siberian expeditions: Translating political empire into a kingdom of knowledge Kenneth J. Knoespel Open Access Download PDF	207
The introduction of the Linnaean classification of nature in Portugal Palmira Fontes da Costa Open Access Download PDF	227
Section 4. The development of scientific writing
Linnaeus as a connecting link in Swedish language history Bo Ralph Open Access Download PDF	247
Calendar and aphorism: A generic study of Carl Linnaeus’s Fundamenta Botanica and Philosophia Botanica Han-Liang Chang Open Access Download PDF	263
The reflective cultivator? Model readers in eighteenth-century Swedish garden literature Andreas Nord Open Access Download PDF	279
The linguistic construction of scientificality in early Swedish medical texts Britt-Louise Gunnarsson Open Access Download PDF	303
Eighteenth-century English medical texts and discourses on reproduction Päivi Pahta Open Access Download PDF	333
Subject index Open Access Download PDF	357

(Deutsch)

Language: English
Publisher: De Gruyter Mouton
Audience: Students and Scholars with an interest in the History of the European Languages, LSP (Language for Specific Purposes), Sociology of Science, History of Ideas and Thoughts
Pages
- Front matter: 11
- Main content: 365
Illustrations
- Illustrations: 14
- Tables: 9
Keywords: Language for Specific Purposes; Sociology of Science; History of Ideas and Thoughts

eBook

Published: October 28, 2011
ISBN: 9783110255065

Hardcover

Published: October 17, 2011
ISBN: 9783110255058