Infrastrukturalisme

The discussion of structuralism as an approach to language description and analysis is still a vital one, not only within linguistics, but also within many other branches of humanistic science where the strutural approach is an important tool for handling questions of meaning and interaction through language. Basically, the fundamental concept of structuralism is that meaning consists of those structures that are marked in the given context as mutually different (cp. Saussure). Whether these markings are founded in local structuring of meaning or in a structuring that is valid to a larger community, is not as important as the theoreticians of those days thought, having thier main bias on standard languages. Indeed, this opening is a seminal point in the attempt to bring structuralism into the 21st century. With this project, we want to stimulate the theoretical discussions of language, social interaction and meaning within the field of the humanities. The letters between Hjelmslev and the members of his intellectual circle are important in several respects: First of all, they contain explanations and expansions of the theory as was unfolded in the printed works. Secondly, we find possibilities and alternatives, maybe even lines of thinking that were discarded in the first line, but nevertheless still worth pursuing in the light of later practical experience.

The letters will be made accessible through the internet as picture files and will be readable as such. Since the letters were exchanged for many different reasons, we may find hardcore theoretical discussions juxtaposed with season’s greetings and academic nitty-grity. Because of this, we will select the central parts of the theoretical discussion from the letters, transscribe and comment them, so that references in passing to persons and events etc. will be elucidated as fully as possible. Also, the development of the linguistic thinking will be made clear through references to the development of the terminology.