Abstract
Abstract One of the major concerns of linguistics throughout the 19th century was to determine whether languages build their morphology by means of internal variations or by means of the addition of external elements to the root. This binary distinction between „organic“ and „mechanical“ languages was often connected with the problem of the PIE ablaut, since ablaut was regarded as an organic development, created by the root itself and manifesting its organic power. The aim of this paper is to describe the different milestones of this debate for a time span extending from the brothers Schlegel to the Neo-grammarian revolution (ca 1800-1880), including most of the leading figures of 19th century linguistics, Franz Bopp (1791-1867), Jacob Grimm (1785-1863), Wilhelm von Humboldt (1767-1835) and August Schleicher (1821-1868).
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