Sanctius' Theory of Language

This volume presents the main tenets of Sanctius’ linguistic theory and explores the questions raised by Robin Lakoff in her 1969 review of the Grammaire générale et raisonnée (Port Royal). Part I surveys earlier developments in the study of language, in particular the Graeco-Roman and Medieval traditions, the Renaissance period, and Judaeo-Arabic scholarship. Part II contains a synopsis in English of Sanctius’ Minerva, placing special emphasis on theoretical passages and illustrative data. Part III is devoted to Sanctius’ linguistic doctrine: (1) his philosophical approach to language analysis, (2) his notion of logical structure and rule, (3) his classification of the parts of speech, and (4) his basic semantic postulates.