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LECTURE 4.

Types of language comparison

PLAN

1.Types of comparision

2.Approaches to language description

The comparison may be of two types: substantialand non-substantial.

Under substantial comparison, linguists mean comparison of some concrete things or objects, e.g. sounds, digits, numbers, etc. Under non-substantial comparison, linguists mean comparison of systems and their elements.

At the early stages of development of typology as a science, the major role is ­longed to thesubstantial comparison, which is considered primary. Yuri Rojdenstvenskiy' wrote "...in General Linguistics the relations between language systems based on substantial features. The languages were considered cognate because the linguists found principal similarity in their substance: sound and content». Non-substantial comparison played a significant role in shaping Comparative Typology as an independent science.

There are two approaches to language description: internal and external.

Internal approach deals with the comparison of the systems of any concrete language. It is inner comparison within one concrete language. External approach deals with thecross-language comparison.

Comparative Typology may compare language systems panchronically though they are living or dead; besides, it may compare language systems synchronicallyand diachronically.

The diachronic approachis a stative study of a certain period. The synchronic approach is a dynamic one.