The European Linguistic Tradition - The Greco Roman Legacy

Abstract

The European linguistic tradition exists since the very beginning of date and even before. This long-lasting tradition is believed to have started with Greeks, and it has been, since then, one of the very few unbroken chains of scholarship. Five hundred years before date, the Greeks were already launching this tradition which went through different stages to become the scientific study that it is today. The logical question that one might ask is: Why are Greeks considered to be the pioneers in linguistic thinking? A possible answer is provided by Bloomfield (1935: 4) when he says that 'the ancient Greeks had the gift of wondering at things that other people take for granted.' Although, the gift in question may have had a lot to do with the political, economic and social situation of the time, the Greeks, and the Romans after them, are believed to be the roots of a long-lasting European linguistic tradition.