Distinguishing of natural properties of language in the history of scientific research

The author of this article points out that different approaches of determining the nature of language distinguish one property of the whole set. These properties belong to the language in all its complex organization. The author focuses his attention on the modern comprehension of the language as activity phenomenon. He appeals retrospectively to the theory of W. Humboldt. The main goal of the article consists in the assertion of communicative essence that is so characteristic for the linguistic approach that deals with the language as activity phenomenon. In this connection it is of vital importance to draw attention to the leader of the Neogrammarians in the history of linguistics at the end of the 19th century H. Paul. “The psychological principal” implemented in H. Paul’s conception is of great interest both in theory of modern cognitive linguistics and from the point of view of modern communicative syntax.

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