hellog〜英語史ブログ / 2016-02-18

■ #2488. 専門科目かつ教養科目としての英語史 [hel_education][historiography][review]

　Baugh and Cable の英語史概説書の第6版について，「#2089. Baugh and Cable の英語史概説書の目次」 ([2015-01-15-1]) と「#2182. Baugh and Cable の英語史第6版」 ([2015-04-18-1]) で簡単に触れた．読み慣れた先行版から変更されている部分が案外多いものの，内面史と外面史のバランスを取った英語史記述の方針は，1930年代の初版以来，頼もしいくらいに変わっていない．序文の p. xvi に初版からの次の1節が引用されている．

The present book, intended primarily for college students, aims to present the historical development of English in such a way as to preserve a proper balance between what may be called internal history---sounds and inflections---and external history---the political, social, and intellectual forces that have determined the course of that development at different periods. The writer is convinced that the soundest basis for an understanding of present-day English and for an enlightened attitude towards questions affecting the language today is a knowledge of the path which it has pursued in becoming what it is. For this reason equal attention has been paid to its earlier and its later stages.

　また，本文の冒頭の第1節は "The History of the English Language as a Cultural Subject" と題されている．pp. 1--2 にあるように，

The history of a language is intimately bound up with the history of the peoples who speak it. The purpose of this book, then, is to treat the history of English not only as being of interest to the specialized student but also as a cultural subject within the view of all educated people, while including enough references to technical matters to make clear the scientific principles involved in its evolution.

　著者にとって，英語史（言語史）という大学教育の科目は，専門科目でもあり教養科目でもあるのだろう．私自身も，この著者の方針を高く買って，ゼミのテキストに本書を選んだ．英語史を専門に扱う学生にとっては，本書を通じてしっかり言語学的視点を養いながら，かつ文化的教養も高めてもらいたい．専門としない学生にとっては，文化的科目として学んでもらうだけでなく，言語学的な見方も修得してもらいたい．

　・ Baugh, Albert C. and Thomas Cable. A History of the English Language. 6th ed. London: Routledge, 2013.

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