Pražská škola a Axiomatický funkcionalismus

Bc. Jana Kudělková

Master's thesis

Prague School and Axiomatic Functionalism

Abstract:

Práce představuje přehled a srovnání metod a fonologických konceptů dvou funkcionalistických lingvistických škol, Pražského lingvistického kroužku (zde zastoupeného především N. S. Trubeckým a Josefem Vachkem) a Mulderova Axiomatického funkcionalismu.

Abstract:

The thesis presents an overview of methods and phonological concepts of two functionalist linguistic schools, the Prague Linguistic Circle (here represented by N. S. Trubetzkoy and Josef Vachek) and Mulder´s Axiomatic Functionalism (AF). Both schools share the following characteristics: a functional view of language, deductively constructed theories which serve as an instrument for language analysis, and a common criterion of distinctive function. It is this common basis that allows for comparing the concepts and procedures applied by the two functionalist schools in the linguistic inquiry. The first part of this work is of a more general tone, dealing with various methods of research (induction, speculation, instrumentalism, deduction) and their pitfalls, followed by a section explaining the difference between a theory and a description. The aim is to demonstrate the necessity of a sound, deductively constructed theory as an instrument in scientific research, and accentuate the difference between a theory and a description. The second part of this writing addresses the issue of a linguistic sign, claiming that language belongs among semiotic systems, and, thus, the concept of linguistic sign must constitute one of the building blocks of a linguistic theory, the other blocks being systemology and semantics. In the ensuing chapters some of the phonological concepts and procedures of Prague school and Mulder´s AF are compared, e.g. the distinctive function, phoneme, phonological opposition, neutralization, archiphoneme etc., during which several facts come to light, such as: Prague school concentrates its research mainly on paradigmatics and its concepts are of a more intuitive nature, whereas AF pays as much attention to the syntagmatic aspect of language as to paradigmatics and its concepts are formulated explicitly; the concept of archiphoneme no longer exists within Prague theory, whereas it remains a widely used and functionally strong concept for AF. The last chapter introduces yet two more functional concepts in linguistics, i.e. Josef Vachek´s concepts of a centre and a periphery of a phonological system that allow for a different way of observing a language system and provide a linguist with additional information about the workings of the system and its motivation for change.

Keywords

functionalism, structuralism, phonology, theory, description

Language used: Czech

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 27. 8. 2008

Thesis defence

• Date of defence: 3. 9. 2008
• Supervisor: PhDr. Ondřej Šefčík, Ph.D.

Masaryk University

Faculty of Arts

Master programme / field:
Philology / General Linguistics