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The first factor istypological imitation,
means using identified style or form of languages
to explain another language. For example, the
first Latin grammar "De Lingua Latina" (117-27
ВС) by Varron was written with the use
of the ancient
Greek language grammars
compiled by Greek philosophers. His
great contributions were changing 5
cases in Greek into 6 and 8 parts of
speech into 7 in English.
Later, the grammar of European
languages
was shaped based on Latin
and
Greek
languages.
Besides,
nowadays not only grammar but poetic
speech and other language units are still
based on Greek grammar.
Also, while studying certain categories of one language scholars very often
use the models of more researched languages, e.g. the ancient Indian models of com-
pound words are used to describe many European languages
The second factor is characterized as a period of the appearance
of
scientific
comparative works.
Comparisons of languages and linguistic units date back to
theancient period. Comparisons were
scripted in “Port Royal Grammar” where
ancient
scholars
such
as
Antoine
Arnauld,Claude
Lancelot,
analyzed
similarities
and
differences
between
French, Latin,
Greek and ancient Jewish
languages. They have found out that out of
these languages ancient Jewish language
did not share substantial similarity with
other languages. The Port Royal Grammar
was extremely popular and gave an impetus
to therapid
development of comparative
studies.
Until recent times, this book has been used in modern typology. N.
Kretsman pointed out this book’s importance and said: “In the last seven or eight
years the “Port Royal Grammar” has been discussed more often in the English
12
speaking world than at any other time since its
publication more than three
hundred years ago”.
Comparative Typology that dealt with comparing of language units and
languages that did not share common root language played an important role in the
emerging and developing of this subject. Comparison of structural languages that
were not substantial also was crucial in the development of ComparativeTypology.
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