http://projects.pomona.edu/eng85s08/2008/04/03/lexicography-and-the-logos/ ENGL 85 History of the English Language Spring 2008 Sun, 09 Nov 2008 11:20:06 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 http://projects.pomona.edu/eng85s08/2008/04/03/lexicography-and-the-logos/comment-page-1/#comment-49 sean Tue, 08 Apr 2008 21:48:02 +0000 http://projects.pomona.edu/eng85s08/2008/04/03/lexicography-and-the-logos/#comment-49 A great observation, Jake. As usual, my approach to this idea is to medievalize it: Isidore's confidence in etymology to reveal all knowledge embedded in the origin of words, and encyclopedism as one prominent manifestation of logocentrism. As we mentioned earlier, such theories of language are not unheard of today, such as prescriptivist arguments that make recourse to etymology in disputes over usage - all will be settled by looking to the point of origin, the Logos ("in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God, and the Word was with God" as the Gospel of John so eloquently puts it). But I'm curious to hear other perspectives on this. A great observation, Jake. As usual, my approach to this idea is to medievalize it: Isidore’s confidence in etymology to reveal all knowledge embedded in the origin of words, and encyclopedism as one prominent manifestation of logocentrism. As we mentioned earlier, such theories of language are not unheard of today, such as prescriptivist arguments that make recourse to etymology in disputes over usage – all will be settled by looking to the point of origin, the Logos (”in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God, and the Word was with God” as the Gospel of John so eloquently puts it). But I’m curious to hear other perspectives on this.

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