The ideas of universal grammar in the area of syntax and their reflection in the Russian educational materials of the early XIX century

Abstract

The subject of this research is the analysis of universal grammar ideas in the area of syntax and their reflection in the Russian educational materials of the early XIX century. The relevance is defined by the fact that writings of the authors of universal grammars contain ideas currently applied in description of fact of language within the framework of generative grammar. View on grammar of A. S. Nikolsky, F. F. Rozanov, L. H. Jacob, I. F. Timkovsky, I. Ornatovsky repeatedly have become the subject of analysis; however, in light on most recent achievements of the theory of linguistics, previous works require revision. Research methodology leans on the theories, which are founded on the principle of historicism in linguistics that allows establishing own patterns in transformation of the subject of research and clearly understands the internal logics of scientific development. With emergence of works of the world renowned American linguist Noam Chomsky, who claimed that his generative grammar is based on the key postulates of universal grammar, the authors of universal grammars have attracted attention once again. The scientific novelty lies in the more objective assessment of the contribution of A. S. Nikolsky, F. F. Rozanov, L. H. Jacob, I. F. Timkovsky, I. Ornatovsky to the development of grammar science, and syntax in particular.