Louis Hjelmslev (October 3, 1899 - May 30, 1965) was a Danish linguist whose ideas formed the basis of the Danish School in linguistics. Born into an academic family, Hjelmslev studied comparative linguistics in Copenhagen, Prague and Paris (with A. Meillet). In 1931, he helped to found the Cercle Linguistique de Copenhague. Together with Hans-Jørgen Uldall he developed a new theory on language, they coined Glossematik (glossematics was derived from the Greek "glossa" which means "tongue" or "language"). October 3 is the 276th day of the year (277th in Leap years). ... 1899 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... May 30 is the 150th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (151st in leap years). ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link goes to calendar). ... The following is a list of linguists, those who study linguistics. ... Linguistics is the scientific study of human language, and someone who engages in this study is called a linguist. ...

The Linguistic Circle of Copenhagen

The Linguistic Circle of Copenhagen was founded by Hjelmslev and a group of colleagues in 1931. Their inspiration was the Prague Linguistic Circle, and the purpose was to create a study circle of active members who would develop a new kind of linguistic research. Initially, their interest lay in phonology but it later developed into Structuralism. Membership of the group grew rapidly and a significant list of publications resulted including an irregular series of larger works under the name Travaux du Cercle Linguistique de Copenhague. A "Bulletin" was produced, followed by an international journal for structuralistic research in language, Acta Linguistica (later called Acta Linguistica Hafniensia. With one short break between 1934-37 when he worked with Uldall on the Glossematik, Hjelmslev acted as chairman of the Circle until shortly before his death in 1965. Phonology (Greek phone = voice/sound and logos = word/speech), is a subfield of linguistics closely associated with phonetics. ... Structuralism is a general approach in various academic disciplines that explores the inter-relationships between fundamental elements of some kind, upon which some higher mental, linguistic, social, cultural etc structures are built, through which then meaning is produced within a particular person, system, culture. ...

His theoretical work

His landmark book, Prolegomena, was first published in 1943 and repesents a critique of the then prevailing methodologies in linguistics as descriptive and not systematising. He proposed a linguistic theory intended to form the basis of a more rational linguistics and a contribution to general epistemology. Like Saussure (1857-1913), he accepted language as a system of signs. In his analysis, a sign was a form, i.e. it is possible to decribe it empirically, but its substance was ontologically speculative, i.e. what the sign would go on to mean when interpreted may be quite different from what was intended. A sign also had a function. Two elements which he termed "functive", content and expression, were associated with that function. He also refered to purport as a non-linguistic element in his calculus of language, i.e. a level of connotation independent of linguistic form. In short, he was proposing an open-ended, scientific method of analysis as a new semiotics. In proposing this, he was reacting against the conventional view in phonetics that the focus of the enquiry should be the sounds. This begins a more serious philosophical tradition. When the individual's ear detects the sound waves, a cognitive process begins to translate the wave forms into meaningful data. Similarly, when the eye receives light carrying data about the world, it must be interpreted. Hjelmslev reacted against the notion that images had to be translated into a phonetic “substance” or a concrete perceptual object in order to be understood. He argued that no sign can be interpreted unless it is contextualised, treating his functives, expression and content as the general connotative mechanisms, which anticipated the Greimas school's view that all meaning is of a kind. So not only do pictures and literature manifest the same organising principles, but, more broadly, visuality and aurality must be taken to be identical on a deeper level. The word Methodology is used in several ways. ... Epistemology, from the Greek words episteme (knowledge) and logos (word/speech) is the branch of philosophy that deals with the nature, origin and scope of knowledge. ... Saussure Ferdinand de Saussure (November 26, 1857 - February 22, 1913) was a Swiss linguist. ... In semiotics, a sign is generally defined as, ...something that stands for something else, to someone in some capacity. ... ... This article is about the philosophical meaning of ontology. ... In semiotics, connotation arises when the denotative relationship between a signifier and its signified is inadequate to serve the needs of the community. ... Semiotics - or semiology - is the study of signs, both individually and grouped in sign systems, and includes the study of how meaning is made and understood. ... Phonetics (from the Greek word φωνή, phone = sound/voice) is the study of sounds (voice). ... Cognitive The scientific study of how people obtain, retrieve, store and manipulate information. ... Algirdas Julius Greimas, or Algirdas Julien Greimas (born March 9, 1917 in Tula, died 1992 in Paris), was a linguist who contributed to the theory of semiotics, and also researched Lithuanian mythology. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ...

Assessment

He made a bold proposal to transform technical analysis into a broad enquiry, emphasising that the true focus of linguistics should be the language and the human culture that continually reinvents it, and all society's memory of its accumulated knowledge preserved through language. This was a challenging but constructive argument that still has relevance today. Look up Culture in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Wikinews has news related to this article: Culture and entertainment Dictionary of the History of Ideas: Cultural Development in Antiquity Dictionary of the History of Ideas: Culture and Civilization in Modern Times Classificatory system for cultures and civilizations, by Dr. Sam Vaknin... ... Memory is a function of the brain: the ability to retain information. ... The Gettier problem: Justified true belief? Theory of Knowledge: The Gettier problem The Duality of Knowledge Philosophy of Knowledge Glossary Categories: ‪Knowledge‬ | ‪Epistemology‬ | ‪Philosophical terminology‬ ...

References

Hjelmslev, Louis (1953). Prolegomena: A Theory of Language. Baltimore: Indiana University Publications in Anthropology and Linguistics (IJAL Memoir, 7) (2nd OD (slightly rev.): Madison: Univ. Of Wisconsin Press, 1961. Dt.: Hjelmslev 1974.