Exploring Internal Duality: Synchrony and Diachrony in the History of Linguistics
Introduction Linguistics has historically grappled with internal duality between synchrony and diachrony. These approaches offer distinct perspectives for understanding language, either as a specific state at a given moment or as an evolutionary process over time. This article explores the relationship between these two dimensions and how their coexistence has enriched our understanding of language. Synchrony and Diachrony: Two Faces of Linguistics Synchrony focuses on studying a specific state of language at a given moment, disregarding its temporal evolution. In contrast, diachrony examines language's evolution and changes over time, adopting a historical perspective. Ferdinand de Saussure criticized the inclination of his era towards diachrony, advocating for a balance with the synchronic perspective. The Legacy of Traditional Grammar Before modern linguistic studies, traditional grammar embraced a synchronic approach, describing the state of a language at a specific...