Oups! SHESL stands for "Societe d'Histoire et d'Epistemologie des Sciences du
Langage"
sorry for that!
Jacqueline Leon
Dear John, dear all,
If I may clarify one point, the name of the French society SHESL stands
for "Societe pour l'Histoire et l'Epistemologie des Sciences du Langage". The
names "Linguistics" and even more "histoire des idées linguistiques" - as John
says - were seen as too restrictive and limiting the field. I guess it was the
same for ICHoLS (International Conference of the History of the Language
Sciences).
Best wishes
Jacqueline Leon
Presidente de la SHESL
Directrice de recherche CNRS
Université PARIS DIDEROT
UMR7597 - Histoire des Théories Linguistiques
UFR Linguistique
case 7034
5 rue Thomas Mann
75205 Paris cedex 13
http://htl.linguist.univ-paris-diderot.fr/
> Dear All,
>
> I've been interested to read the various reactions to Mike MacMahon's
> question, and have been struck in particular at the wide difference of
> opinion on what constitutes a narrowing of what.
>
> It seemd to me that the term 'linguistics' left the field wide open
> for colleagues to write on the history of anything which would generally
> go under the name 'linguistics', and as I understood it from the earlier
> (earliest?) meetings of the Society, this was what the founding members
> thought the Society should be for.
>
> I can only repeat that, as Vivien pointed out, the history of ideas
> was only one (of four or five or more) ways of approaching
> the history of linguistics. My fear was that colleagues wanting to take
> a different approach might think that this particular slant was not for them.
>
> I can't see how the term 'linguistics' narrows the field unduly.
> If it helps, I could live with - for instance - with (as someone suggested)
> ". . . for the History of the Linguistic Sciences" on the French model
> (S.H.E.S.L.), though I don't really see this as an improvement.
> So my vote goes with David Cram and Konrad Koerner.
>
> John.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ----- Ursprüngliche Nachricht -----
> Von: Mike MacMahon <[log in to unmask]>
> Datum: Montag, 24. September 2012, 12:13
> Betreff: The name of the Henry Sweet Society
> An: [log in to unmask]
>
>
> <!-- blockquote, dl, ul, ol, li { padding-top: 0 ; padding-bottom: 0 }
> --><font style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; background-color:
> rgb(245, 248, 240); font-size: 14px;">> </font>The name of the Henry Sweet
> Society-----------------------------------------------------------
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> |
>
> > Dear HSS Member
> > At a committee meeting earlier this year, the question was raised about
> the name of the Society, especially in connection with the need to attract
> new members. The full name is The Henry Sweet Society for the History of
> Linguistic Ideas, and has been used since the foundation of the Society in
> 1984.>
> > The committee would like to gather the views and suggestions of the
> membership about whether there is a case for either choosing a different
> name, fine-tuning the present name, or leaving things as they are. The
> simplest way is for you to send me an email ([log in to unmask]) and
> I will put your comment(s) to the committee at its next meeting -- probably
> in November.>
> > Here are a few thoughts to start things off:
> - > Is the current name too long(winded)?
> - > Could it be giving the impression to 'outsiders' that the focus is on
> Sweet to the apparent exclusion of other equally important linguists?
> - > Is the expression 'linguistic ideas' an appropriate one to have in the
> title?
> - > Is the mention of Sweet transparent for a younger generation of
> linguists?
> - > Should the world-wide scope of the membership and their interests be
> emphasized by choosing a name that reflects better the interests of the
> membership? Some people might say that the word 'British' should appear in
> the title; others that there is no need to mention the administrative base of
> the Society. A parallel is the re-titling of the journal in 2009 to simply
> 'Language & History'.
>
>
> > I look forward to receiving any comments from you.
> >
> > With best wishes
> >
> > Mike MacMahon
> >
> > (President, Henry Sweet Society for the History of Linguistic Ideas
> > University of Glasgow> Scotland/UK)
> |-----------------------------------------------------------
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