678:
group the respectful title of the 'Prague School,' while at home, nobody can, without ill will, deny us the merit of having given many fresh impulses to Czech linguistic and literary research by our new standpoint and our new methods of work." Although the Circle dissolved in 1949 due to internal political tension, it was revived in 1989 and now works to publish journals, host conferences, and promote academic work in language and linguistics.
592:, which he criticized as failing to view language as a whole system, overly emphasizing written language at the expense of spoken, and neglecting the role of the speaker/writer in the production of language. Functionalism remedied these problems, and it also preferred synchronic study over diachronic and favored an analytic approach over a genealogical one.
31:
426:, soon after Jakobson's arrival in Prague in 1920. It was Jakobson who pointed out the need for a center for work and discussion for young linguists in the city, which coincided with Mathesius's patriotic desire to improve the state of scholarship in Czechoslovakia. However, their plans would not be realized for half a decade.
677:
Mathesius's brainchild, the Prague Circle, did much to elevate and improve Prague's reputation in the academic world and bring it to international attention. Reflecting on the first ten years of the Circle, Mathesius summed up their contributions: "In foreign linguistics we fought for and won for our
486:
During the early stage of his career, Mathesius's interests were split between literary history and linguistics. He started to assemble a compendium of the history of
English literature and managed to publish two volumes (1910–1915) before the loss of his eyesight cut his work short. These works,
433:
at his own house. The first official meeting took place on
October 6, 1926, at Mathesius's office. Henrik Becker, a young German linguist, was the first speaker invited to give a lecture, which was attended by five people (including Mathesius and Jakobson) and followed by a discussion. The Circle
673:
Critics maintain that
Mathesius lacked refined methodology, and that his observations of data could not amount to much because of his reluctance to propose unified theories to account for them. His work never achieved the international renown of that of his colleagues, possibly because he wrote
449:
in Prague in 1929. They used these conferences as an opportunity to develop and present a set of ten theses for linguistic research, promoting a "functionalist" approach to the study of language. Soon after the Prague
Congress they issued their first independent publication, two volumes of the
409:
of the vertebrae, which caused him to be bed-ridden for a year and a half (1932–33). In spite of these ailments, he continued to pursue his studies, teach his classes, and work with the Prague Circle, until his death in Prague on 12 April 1945.
400:
Mathesius suffered a number of health problems during his lifetime. In 1922 he contracted an eye disease that eventually left him completely blind. This caused him to rely increasingly on his students, including
396:
In 1908 Mathesius married Růžena
Moravcová with whom he later had a son, Vilém (known as Vilík). Moravcová died unexpectedly in 1933 during a routine operation. Soon after, Mathesius married her sister, Antonia.
510:
that defined the study of language at his time. In 1911 he presented one of his more famous lectures to the Royal
Learned Society, "On the potentiality of the phenomena of language", which anticipates
638:
Mathesius's ideas on linguistic functionalism remained central to the work of the Prague
Linguistic Circle and have been expanded upon by modern linguists in many directions. Linguistic approaches to
622:. In Mathesius's mind, cultural activism entailed the revitalization of the Czech national spirit and reform of national holidays, among other things. He published two major collections on the topic:
390:(English philology), effectively founding the department. He remained head of the department until Charles University, along with all other Czech universities, was forcibly shut down by the Nazis on
607:, in both Czech and English. The total loss of his eyesight caused him to focus his attention on these aspects of spoken language, because spoken language was now more easily accessible to him.
752:
It is necessary to subject the language to such simplification that allows further work on it. (source: Vilém
Mathesius: Jazyk, kultura a slovesnost (Language, culture and poetic art), 1982
478:
Mathesius's scholarly work is typically divided into three periods based on his academic and intellectual focus and his increasing interest in linguistic concerns.
1079:
537:
In his second period of intellectual development, which coincided with the first decade of the Prague
Linguistic Circle, Mathesius explored the nature of
429:
For a year and a half (March 1925 – October 1926), Mathesius hosted the sporadic and informal gatherings of young linguists that eventually became the
470:
which specializes in structuralist theory and Czech language, now continues (after a brief hiatus from 1942 to 1947) to be published as a quarterly.
359:
at
Charles University in Prague, earning both his B.A. and his PhD there. The topic of his doctoral dissertation, which he submitted in 1907, was
1182:
466:
ceased in 1939 due to the onset of World War II, but the journal began to be reissued in 1995 as part of a general effort to revive the Circle.
1140:
258:
Vilém was born as the youngest of two sons of Bedřich and Evelina Mathesius. His father was a wealthy tanner in a long line of tanners of
250:. The department now exists as a branch of the Faculty of Arts, but it is called the "Department of Anglophone Literatures and Cultures."
1177:
219:
His extensive publications in these journals and elsewhere cover a range of topics, including the history of English literature,
1212:
434:
applied for official status in 1930, and Mathesius, as a senior member and well-established academic, served as its president.
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611:
438:
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and Bohumil Trnka, to assist him in his teaching, reading, and writing. Ten years later, in 1932, he was diagnosed with
588:
with having sowed the seeds of the movement. Mathesius built up functionalism as an alternative to the approach of the
495:, were foundational in establishing the Anglistics department at the university. He also wrote a number of articles on
446:
458:
of which Mathesius was the editor-in-chief. In addition, in 1936 the Circle began issuing a Czech periodical called
1083:
1202:
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643:
580:. He was a leading proponent of this school of thought, although he credits the followers of the Polish linguist
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577:
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488:
391:
247:
201:
689:, which issues annual awards for the best MA and BA theses in the Department of English and American Studies.
1207:
968:
Portraits of Linguists: A biographical source book for the History of Western Linguistics, 1746-1963 (vol 2)
1222:
667:
619:
737:(A functional analysis of present-day English on a general linguistic basis), 1961 (publ. posthumously)
822:
The magic of a common language : Jacobson, Mathesius, Trubetzkoy and the Prague Linguistic Circle
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The third and final period of Mathesius's work, which lasted until his death, was devoted to
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511:
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Alongside his work with literature, he began exploring linguistic theory and questioning the
193:
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8:
701:(On the Potentiality of the Phenomena of Language ), 1911, English trans. J. Vachek 1964.
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and submitted it in 1909. He spent the next 3 years working at Charles University as a
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Vilém Mathesius Foundation for the Promotion of English and American Studies in Prague
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The Circle achieved international notice at two linguistic conferences: the First
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462:("Word and verbal art"), also with Mathesius as editor-in-chief. Publication of
341:, the religion which Mathesius actively and devotedly practiced his whole life.
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Vilém Mathesius Centre for Research and Education in Semiotics and Linguistics
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During this time period, Mathesius also became more concerned with issues of
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In addition to his work in linguistics, in 1912 he founded the department of
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Sound, sign and meaning : quinquagenary of the Prague Linguistic Circle
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The linguistic school of Prague: an introduction to its theory and practice
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A functional analysis of present day English on a general linguistic basis
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and took particular interest in the study of language, taking classes in
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dichotomy, have grown out of Mathesius's writings through the work of
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54:
735:
Obsahový rozbor současné angličtiny na základě obečně lingvistickém
717:
On Linguistic Characterology with Illustrations from Modern English
386:
then in 1912 he was appointed the university's first professor of
372:
294:
134:
Henry Sweet, Otto Jespersen, Georg von der Gabelentz, T.G. Masaryk
1045:
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282:
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This is also the point at which he began to develop his idea of
600:
538:
330:
259:
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76:
630:("What Our Lands Contributed to Europe and Mankind") in 1940.
207:
Mathesius was the editor-in-chief of two linguistic journals,
302:
499:
and his critics in 1916, the year of Shakespeare's Jubilee.
610:
Throughout his scholarly career and particularly after the
246:. He remained head of the department until 1939, when the
532:
725:(What our lands contributed to Europe and mankind), 1940
422:, an influential Russian linguist and co-founder of the
215:("Word and Verbal Art"), and the co-founder of a third,
163:
Bohumil Trnka, Vladimir Skalička, Jan Firbas, Petr Sgall
681:
Mathesius is memorialized at Charles University by the
618:, as defined by the first president of Czechoslovakia,
571:
367:. While serving as an assistant teacher of German at a
16:
Czech linguist, literature historian and science writer
707:(The History of English Literature I–II), 1910–1915
1169:
481:
1064:Mathesius, Vilém (1975). Vachek, Josef (ed.).
1032:"Prague Linguistic Circle Papers (new series)"
413:
253:
211:(“Works of the Prague Linguistic Circle”) and
545:and also contributed to the Circle's work on
994:. Bloomington: Indiana UP. pp. 137–151.
970:. Bloomington: Indiana UP. pp. 474–489.
529:(in his words, "static") study of language.
525:(1916) and emphasizes the importance of the
293:). When he was 11, his family moved west to
200:. He is considered one of the founders of
29:
1063:
890:. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan.
776:Nekula, Marek (1999). "Vilém Mathesius".
454:("Works of the Prague Linguistic Circle")
242:, which was the first such department in
743:(Language, culture and poetic art), 1982
452:Travaux du Cercle Linguistique de Prague
344:In 1901, Mathesius began his studies of
317:, in addition to his native language of
209:Travaux du Cercle Linguistique de Prague
1138:
885:
612:Nazi takeover of Czechoslovakia in 1939
185:, 3 August 1882 – 12 April 1945) was a
1183:People of the Prague linguistic circle
1170:
989:
965:
775:
533:The Founding of the Circle (1926–1936)
508:diachronic, or historical, linguistics
1145:The Slavonic and East European Review
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337:. Dušek also instructed Mathesius in
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662:. Mathesius's ideas also influenced
572:Linguistic Functionalism (1936–1945)
626:("Cultural Activism") in 1925, and
439:International Congress of Linguists
333:Čeněk Dušek for private lessons in
248:Nazis closed all Czech universities
81:Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia
13:
1132:
1098:"About the Vilem Mathesius Center"
1052:
723:Co daly naše země Evropě a lidstvu
628:Co daly naše země Evropě a lidstvu
447:International Congress of Slavists
14:
1234:
1178:Linguists from the Czech Republic
1080:"Modern Prague Linguistic Circle"
974:
946:
927:
912:
846:
784:
762:
578:functionalist theories of grammar
1139:de Bray, R. G. (November 1946).
731:(Possibilities that await), 1944
699:O potenciálnosti jevů jazykových
1114:
1090:
1072:
886:Matejka, Ladislav, ed. (1982).
705:Dějiny literatury anglické I–II
644:Functional Sentence Perspective
1038:
1024:
998:
473:
321:. He also taught himself some
297:. There he attended a classic
274:, was a poet and translator.
1:
1213:Linguists of Slavic languages
1141:"Obituaries: Vilém Mathesius"
1007:"Vilém Mathesius (1882–1945)"
930:"Vilém Mathesius (1882–1945)"
780:. Amsterdam: Benjamins: 1–14.
755:
692:
674:almost exclusively in Czech.
824:. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
482:Literary History (1910–1926)
270:as an ancestor. His cousin,
182:[ˈvɪlɛːmˈmatɛːzɪjus]
7:
1156:
747:
741:Jazyk, kultura a slovesnost
668:systemic functional grammar
549:, introducing the ideas of
414:Work with the Prague Circle
254:Personal life and education
10:
1239:
1218:Burials at Olšany Cemetery
614:, Mathesius advocated for
553:and combining capacity of
713:(Cultural activism), 1925
633:
582:Jan Baudouin de Courtenay
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40:
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21:
1163:Prague Linguistic School
1122:"Vilém Mathesius Awards"
820:Toman, Jindrich (1995).
584:and the Danish linguist
445:in 1928, then the First
431:Prague Linguistic Circle
424:Moscow Linguistic Circle
202:structural functionalism
198:Prague Linguistic Circle
107:Prague Linguistic Circle
1005:Leška, Oldřich (1995).
966:Sebeok, Thomas (1967).
1203:20th-century linguists
1188:Writers from Pardubice
990:Vachek, Josef (1970).
778:Handbook of Pragmatics
729:Možnosti, které čekají
196:and co-founder of the
640:information structure
512:Ferdinand de Saussure
1208:Linguists of English
1068:. The Hague: Mouton.
1046:"Slovo a slovesnost"
516:distinction between
418:Mathesius first met
178:Czech pronunciation:
711:Kulturní aktivismus
654:, František Daneš,
624:Kulturní aktivismus
468:Slovo a slovesnost,
377:habilitation thesis
329:, and met with the
116:Academic background
1223:Cultural activists
1011:Slovo a slovesnost
666:'s development of
489:Anglo-Saxon period
460:Slovo a slovesnost
392:November 17, 1939.
277:Vilém was born in
268:Johannes Mathesius
240:Charles University
213:Slovo a slovesnost
194:literary historian
126:Charles University
616:cultural activism
491:through the late
350:Romance philology
272:Bohumil Mathesius
262:origin, claiming
236:English philology
229:cultural activism
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664:Michael Halliday
487:which cover the
369:secondary school
363:'s criticism of
204:in linguistics.
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561:in contrast to
551:functional load
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375:, he wrote his
361:Hippolyte Taine
287:Austria-Hungary
256:
217:Nové Athenaeum.
177:
174:Vilém Mathesius
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59:Austria-Hungary
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35:Vilém Mathesius
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291:Czech Republic
266:'s biographer
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1105:. Retrieved
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1084:the original
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71:(1945-04-12)
1198:1945 deaths
1193:1882 births
685:and by the
497:Shakespeare
493:Middle Ages
474:Scholarship
403:René Wellek
365:Shakespeare
357:Jan Gebauer
281:in Eastern
244:Czech lands
88:Nationality
1172:Categories
1107:2018-12-05
939:2017-03-17
897:0930042263
831:0262200961
756:References
693:Main works
656:Petr Sgall
652:Jan Firbas
605:intonation
599:, such as
597:stylistics
563:Saussurean
527:synchronic
388:Anglistics
352:under the
225:stylistics
160:Influenced
144:Discipline
131:Influences
122:Alma mater
96:Occupation
47:1882-08-03
1016:21 August
840:476662581
555:phonemes.
547:phonology
543:semantics
443:the Hague
339:Calvinism
299:gymnasium
289:(now the
279:Pardubice
99:Professor
55:Pardubice
1157:See also
906:63472458
748:Citation
719:, 1928 .
646:and the
450:journal
346:Germanic
223:, Czech
190:linguist
147:Linguist
464:Travaux
335:English
327:Russian
323:Italian
283:Bohemia
904:
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828:
658:, and
634:Legacy
601:rhythm
539:syntax
522:parole
518:langue
331:pastor
315:French
313:, and
311:German
227:, and
221:syntax
77:Prague
1151:(64).
373:Plzeň
319:Czech
307:Greek
303:Latin
295:Kolín
260:Saxon
187:Czech
91:Czech
1018:2019
902:OCLC
892:ISBN
836:OCLC
826:ISBN
603:and
541:and
520:and
348:and
325:and
66:Died
41:Born
441:at
371:in
285:in
238:at
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