Philology

Philology (from Greek philos, “loving”; logos, “speech”), the study of written records, the establishment of their authenticity and correctness, and the determination of their meaning. In the 19th century the term philology often referred more narrowly to the study of linguistics. Philologists analyse written historical data systematically, while linguists use modern linguistic approaches, but still taking into account the value of the same historical texts. Comparative philology began at the end of the 18th century and applied to, among other areas of linguistics, the study of the classification of languages. Academics such as Franz Bopp made great advances in the classification of Indo-European languages using philological methods.

In the 20th century philology was used in literature, historical linguistics, and other areas of study in order to reconstruct the texts of imperfect or mutilated manuscripts and inscriptions. The modern philologist often determines the text of a lost original by comparing variant readings in existing copies. Philologists also interpret the texts, obtaining information about history and culture as well as about language and literature.