Theolinguistics
Theolinguistics
Definition
Theolinguistics is one of the field of linguistics which analyzes the relationship between language and religious beliefs, doctrines, scriptures practices, and texts. It studies how language functions in religious situations, how religious language influences thought and behavior, and how sacred texts are linguistically constructed or interpreted[1].
Origin
A word "Theolinguistics" originates from the Greek word θεός (theos) which means "god," and "linguistics" for the study of language.
History
Theolinguistics was introduced by Jean-Pierre (a Belgian linguist) in the 1980s due to the many debates over religious language, and builds on historical linguistic analysis of sacred texts, integrating insights from structuralism, sociolinguistics, and pragmatics to study how language is shaped by religious beliefs and practices.[2]
Key Research Areas
Theolinguistics addresses several major research areas such as:
- Interlevel Verbalization: It examines how religiously marked linguistic phenomena are expressed at various levels, including phonetics, morphology, syntax, and lexicon.
- Religious Worldview Reflection: It studies how different linguistic cultures reflect religious views.
- Religious Concepts: It analyzes the representation of spiritual concepts in the linguistic worldview.
- Discourse Types: It explores how religion is portrayed in the media such as journalistic, social media, and also in the institutional texts.
- Precedent Texts: It studies the role and functioning of religiously originated texts in different types of texts.
- Comparative Analysis: It focuses at the comparative use of religiously marked language units.[3]
Examples of Theolinguistic Studies
- Biblical Linguistics : Analyzing the language and structure of the Bible, understanding the historical and cultural context of its composition, and examining its various translations.[4]
- Islamic Theolinguistics : Analyzing the language and structure of the Quran, the role of Arabic in Islamic worship and scholarship, and the challenges of translating the Quran into other languages. [5]
Other Languages
Greek: Θεογλωσσολογία (Theoglossologia)
German: Theolinguistik
Spanish: Teolingüística
References
- ↑ Crystal, D. (2018). Whatever Happened to Theolinguistics? In Oxford University Press eBooks. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190636647.003.0001
- ↑ Crystal, D. (2018). Whatever Happened to Theolinguistics? In Oxford University Press eBooks.
- ↑ Naydenova, N. S., & С, Н. Н. (2018). Modern Linguistics through Post-Secular Perspective. Vestnik Rossijskogo Universiteta Družby Narodov. Seriâ Lingvistika, 22(4), 988–1000. https://doi.org/10.22363/2312-9182-2018-22-4-988-1000
- ↑ (Eds.). (30 Sep. 2009). "Linguistic Biblical Studies". In Linguistic Biblical Studies. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill. Retrieved Jun 1, 2024, from https://brill.com/view/serial/LBS
- ↑ Khodjakulova, F. R. (2024). THEOLINGUISTICS: BRIDGING LANGUAGE AND THEOLOGY. Oriental renaissance: Innovative, educational, natural and social sciences, 4(3), 445-449.
