William Dwight Whitney’s study of language acquisition in The Life and Growth of Language (1875): His entry point to his scientific method and theory of language and mind

• Published in: Language & History 2024-12, Vol.67 (3), p.247-259
• Main Author: Subbiondo, Joseph L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 19th century; History of linguistics; Language acquisition; Linguistics; Scientific method; Whitney, William Dwight (1827-1894)
• ISSN: 1759-7536; 1759-7544; 0267-4971
• DOI: 10.1080/17597536.2023.2258330

William Dwight Whitney (1827–1894) began The Life and Growth of Language: An Outline of Linguistic Science (1875) with an initial chapter fully devoted to language acquisition. He began his study of linguistic science with language acquisition because for him it was the logical starting point for a study of language, and it introduced his scientific method and his theory of language and mind. Throughout the chapter, Whitney exemplified the centring of his scientific method on direct observation. By beginning his study of language with language acquisition, he rejected the prevailing divine origin theory of his time, which contended that language was divinely created, given to humans, and in decline ever since. Rather, Whitney argued that language began with language acquisition, and that it was continually evolving to meet the ever-changing social and personal needs of its speakers. He also used language acquisition to introduce his reader to his theory of language and mind: a theory that would run consistently throughout his book. Whitney’s scientific method and his theory of language and mind positioned linguistics prominently among the emerging sciences of the late nineteenth century and would significantly influence a new course for linguistics in the twentieth century.