Antoine Meillet
Encyclopedia
Paul Jules Antoine Meillet (ɑ̃twan mɛjɛ; November 11, 1866, Moulins, Allier
- September 21, 1936, Châteaumeillant
) was one of the most important French linguists of the early 20th century. Meillet began his studies at the Sorbonne
, where he was influenced by Michel Bréal
, Ferdinand de Saussure
, and the members of the Année Sociologique. In 1890 he was part of a research trip to the Caucasus
, where he studied Armenian
. After his return, since de Saussure had gone back to Geneva
, he continued the series of lectures on comparative grammar that the Swiss linguist had formerly given.
Meillet completed his doctorate, Research on the Use of the Genitive-Accusative in Old Slavonic, in 1897. In 1902 he took a chair in Armenian at the École des langues orientales. In 1905 he was elected to the Collège de France
, where he taught on the history and structure of Indo-European languages
. He worked closely with noted linguists Paul Pelliot
and Robert Gauthiot
.
Today Meillet is remembered as the mentor of an entire generation of linguists and philologists
who would become central to French linguistics in the twentieth century, such as Émile Benveniste
, Georges Dumézil
, and André Martinet
.
. In 1923, a year before Milman Parry began his studies with Meillet, Meillet wrote the following (which, in the first of his two French theses, Parry quotes):
Meillet offered the opinion that this pattern (the so-called Oral Formulaic Hypothesis) might be a distinctive feature of orally transmitted epics (which the Iliad was said to be). He suggested to Parry that he observe the mechanics of a living oral tradition
to confirm whether this suggestion was valid; he also introduced Parry to the Slovene scholar Matija Murko
, who had written extensively about the heroic epic tradition in Serbo-Croat and particularly in Bosnia
with the help of phonograph recordings. From Parry's resulting research in Bosnia, the records of which are now housed at Harvard University, he and his student Albert Lord
revolutionized Homeric studies.
is functioning". In addition, Meillet was a consultant with the International Auxiliary Language Association
, which presented Interlingua
in 1951.
Moulins, Allier
Moulins is a commune in central France, capital of the Allier department.Among its many tourist attractions are the Maison Mantin the Anne de Beaujeu Museum.-History:...
- September 21, 1936, Châteaumeillant
Châteaumeillant
Châteaumeillant is a commune in the Cher department in the Centre region of France.-Geography:An area of winegrowing, farming and forestry comprising a small town and several hamlets situated in the valley of the small river Sinaise, some south of Bourges at the junction of the D943 with the D3...
) was one of the most important French linguists of the early 20th century. Meillet began his studies at the Sorbonne
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
, where he was influenced by Michel Bréal
Michel Bréal
"Breal" redirects here. For the Rapper see B-RealMichel Jules Alfred Bréal , French philologist, was born at Landau in Rhenish Bavaria. He is often identified as a founder of modern semantics....
, Ferdinand de Saussure
Ferdinand de Saussure
Ferdinand de Saussure was a Swiss linguist whose ideas laid a foundation for many significant developments in linguistics in the 20th century. He is widely considered one of the fathers of 20th-century linguistics...
, and the members of the Année Sociologique. In 1890 he was part of a research trip to the Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
, where he studied Armenian
Armenian language
The Armenian language is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian people. It is the official language of the Republic of Armenia as well as in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The language is also widely spoken by Armenian communities in the Armenian diaspora...
. After his return, since de Saussure had gone back to Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, he continued the series of lectures on comparative grammar that the Swiss linguist had formerly given.
Meillet completed his doctorate, Research on the Use of the Genitive-Accusative in Old Slavonic, in 1897. In 1902 he took a chair in Armenian at the École des langues orientales. In 1905 he was elected to the Collège de France
Collège de France
The Collège de France is a higher education and research establishment located in Paris, France, in the 5th arrondissement, or Latin Quarter, across the street from the historical campus of La Sorbonne at the intersection of Rue Saint-Jacques and Rue des Écoles...
, where he taught on the history and structure of Indo-European languages
Indo-European languages
The Indo-European languages are a family of several hundred related languages and dialects, including most major current languages of Europe, the Iranian plateau, and South Asia and also historically predominant in Anatolia...
. He worked closely with noted linguists Paul Pelliot
Paul Pelliot
Paul Pelliot was a French sinologist and explorer of Central Asia. Initially intending to enter the foreign service, Pelliot took up the study of Chinese and became a pupil of Sylvain Lévi and Édouard Chavannes....
and Robert Gauthiot
Robert Gauthiot
Robert Gauthiot was a French Orientalist, linguist, and explorer.He interrupted his exploration of the Pamir Mountains in July 1914 to return home to serve as a captain in the infantry during World War I. Gauthiot received the Croix de guerre before he was mortally wounded at the Second Battle of...
.
Today Meillet is remembered as the mentor of an entire generation of linguists and philologists
Philology
Philology is the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics.Classical philology is the philology of Greek and Classical Latin...
who would become central to French linguistics in the twentieth century, such as Émile Benveniste
Émile Benveniste
Émile Benveniste was a French Jewish structural linguist, semiotician, an apprentice of Antoine Meilletand his successor, who, in his later years, became enlightened by the structural view of language through the work of Ferdinand de Saussure, although he was unwilling to grasp it at first, being...
, Georges Dumézil
Georges Dumézil
Georges Dumézil was a French comparative philologist best known for his analysis of sovereignty and power in Proto-Indo-European religion and society...
, and André Martinet
André Martinet
André Martinet was a French linguist, influential by his work on structural linguistics....
.
Antoine Meillet and Homeric Studies
At the Sorbonne, beginning in 1924, Meillet supervised Milman ParryMilman Parry
Milman Parry was a scholar of epic poetry and the founder of the discipline of oral tradition.-Biography:He was born in 1902 and studied at the University of California, Berkeley and at the Sorbonne . A student of the linguist Antoine Meillet at the Sorbonne, Parry revolutionized Homeric studies...
. In 1923, a year before Milman Parry began his studies with Meillet, Meillet wrote the following (which, in the first of his two French theses, Parry quotes):
Homeric epic is entirely composed of formulae handed down from poet to poet. An examination of any passage will quickly reveal that it is made up of lines and fragments of lines which are reproduced word for word in one or several other passages. Even those lines of which the parts happen not to recur in any other passage have the same formulaic character, and it is doubtless pure chance that they are not attested elsewhere.
Meillet offered the opinion that this pattern (the so-called Oral Formulaic Hypothesis) might be a distinctive feature of orally transmitted epics (which the Iliad was said to be). He suggested to Parry that he observe the mechanics of a living oral tradition
Oral tradition
Oral tradition and oral lore is cultural material and traditions transmitted orally from one generation to another. The messages or testimony are verbally transmitted in speech or song and may take the form, for example, of folktales, sayings, ballads, songs, or chants...
to confirm whether this suggestion was valid; he also introduced Parry to the Slovene scholar Matija Murko
Matija Murko
Matija Murko also known as Mathias Murko was a Slovene scholar, known mostly for his work on oral epic traditions in the Serbo-Croatian language .- Life :...
, who had written extensively about the heroic epic tradition in Serbo-Croat and particularly in Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
with the help of phonograph recordings. From Parry's resulting research in Bosnia, the records of which are now housed at Harvard University, he and his student Albert Lord
Albert Lord
Albert Bates Lord was a professor of Slavic and comparative literature at Harvard University who, after the death of Milman Parry, carried on that scholar's research into epic literature.-Personal life:...
revolutionized Homeric studies.
Meillet and international languages
Meillet supported the use of an international auxiliary language. In his book The Search for the Perfect Language, Umberto Eco cites Meillet as saying, "Any kind of theoretical discussion is useless, EsperantoEsperanto
is the most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. Its name derives from Doktoro Esperanto , the pseudonym under which L. L. Zamenhof published the first book detailing Esperanto, the Unua Libro, in 1887...
is functioning". In addition, Meillet was a consultant with the International Auxiliary Language Association
International Auxiliary Language Association
The International Auxiliary Language Association was founded in 1924 to "promote widespread study, discussion and publicity of all questions involved in the establishment of an auxiliary language, together with research and experiment that may hasten such establishment in an intelligent manner and...
, which presented Interlingua
Interlingua
Interlingua is an international auxiliary language , developed between 1937 and 1951 by the International Auxiliary Language Association...
in 1951.
Publications
- 1902-05: Études sur l'étymologie et le vocabulaire du vieux slave. Paris, Bouillon.
- 1903: Esquisse d'une grammaire comparée de l'arménien classique.
- 1903: Introduction à l'étude comparative des langues indo-européennes.
- 1908: Les dialectes indo-européens.
- 1913: Aperçu d'une histoire de la langue grecque.
- 1913: Altarmenisches Elementarbuch.
- 1917: Caractères généraux des langues germaniques (rev. edn. 1949)
- 1921: Linguistique historique et linguistique générale.
- 1923: Les origines indo-européennes des mètres grecs.
- 1924: Les langues du monde (co-editor with Marcel Cohen). (Collection linguistique, 16.) Paris: Champion. (2nd edn. 1952)
- 1924: Le slave commun
- 1928: Esquisse d'une histoire de la langue latine.
- 1925: La méthode comparative en linguistique historique (The comparative method in historical linguistics translated by Gordon B. Ford, Jr., 1966)
- 1932: Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue latine.