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Origins of Linguistics.

Linguistics has its roots in ancient India, in the study and preservation of sacred texts. Panini wrote a description of Sanskrit in about 1500 B.C. which is still unexcelled.

Religious concerns underlay the study and preservation of texts, and with spread of Buddhism to China and Japan, the concern for careful study of language spread to East Asia as well. Thus Linguistics was originally a religious concern, but managed to be careful about language, since care about language is a strong cultural value in Asia.



Harold Schiffman
Fri Jan 17 09:48:04 EST 1997