Vilém Mathesius facts for kids

Vilém Mathesius (Czech pronunciation: [ˈvɪlɛːm ˈmatɛːzɪjus], born August 3, 1882 – died April 12, 1945) was an important Czech expert in language and literature. He helped start the famous Prague Linguistic Circle. He is known for helping create a way of studying language called structural functionalism.

Mathesius was the main editor for two language magazines. These were Travaux du Cercle Linguistique de Prague and Slovo a slovesnost. He also helped start a third one called Nové Athenaeum. He wrote many articles about English literature, syntax (how words are put together), Czech stylistics (how language is used for effect), and cultural work.

In 1912, he started the first department for English language at Charles University in Czechoslovakia. He led this department until 1939. At that time, the Nazis closed all Czech universities. Today, this department is part of the Faculty of Arts. It is now called the "Department of Anglophone Literatures and Cultures."

Early Life and Education

Vilém Mathesius was the younger of two sons. His parents were Bedřich and Evelina Mathesius. His father came from a long line of wealthy tanners from Saxony. They believed they were related to Johannes Mathesius, who wrote about Martin Luther. Vilém's cousin, Bohumil Mathesius, was a well-known poet and translator.

Vilém was born in Pardubice, a town in Eastern Bohemia. This area was part of Austria-Hungary at the time. When he was 11, his family moved to Kolín. There, he went to a classic gymnasium (a type of high school). He really loved studying languages. He took classes in Latin, Greek, German, and French. He also learned Czech, his native language.

He taught himself some Italian and Russian. He also took private English lessons with a pastor named Čeněk Dušek. Dušek also taught Mathesius about Calvinism. Mathesius practiced this religion actively throughout his life.

In 1901, Mathesius began studying Germanic and Romance languages at Charles University in Prague. His teacher was Jan Gebauer. Mathesius earned both his bachelor's and PhD degrees there. In 1907, he wrote his PhD paper about Hippolyte Taine's ideas on Shakespeare.

While working as a German teacher in Plzeň, he wrote another important paper. He submitted it in 1909. For the next three years, he worked at Charles University. In 1912, he became the university's first professor of English studies. He led this department until November 17, 1939. On that day, the Nazis closed all Czech universities.

In 1908, Mathesius married Růžena Moravcová. They later had a son named Vilém, who was called Vilík. Sadly, Růžena died unexpectedly in 1933 during a surgery. Soon after, Mathesius married her sister, Antonia.

Vilém Mathesius had several health problems. In 1922, he got an eye disease. This disease eventually made him completely blind. Because of this, he relied more on his students. Students like René Wellek and Bohumil Trnka helped him teach, read, and write. Ten years later, in 1932, he was diagnosed with tuberculosis of the spine. This made him stay in bed for a year and a half. Even with these health issues, he kept studying, teaching, and working with the Prague Circle. He passed away in Prague on April 12, 1945.

The Prague Linguistic Circle

Mathesius first met Roman Jakobson in 1920. Jakobson was a very important Russian linguist. He had also helped start the Moscow Linguistic Circle. Jakobson thought there should be a place for young linguists in Prague to work and talk. Mathesius also wanted to improve learning in Czechoslovakia. However, their plans took five years to happen.

For about a year and a half, Mathesius hosted informal meetings at his home. These meetings were for young linguists. They eventually grew into the Prague Linguistic Circle. The first official meeting was on October 6, 1926. It took place at Mathesius's office. Henrik Becker, a young German linguist, gave the first talk. Five people attended, including Mathesius and Jakobson. The group officially became a recognized organization in 1930. Mathesius, being an older and well-known expert, became its president.

The Circle became famous around the world at two big language conferences. The first was in 1928 at the Hague. The second was in Prague in 1929. At these meetings, they shared ten ideas for studying language. They promoted a "functionalist" way of looking at language. Soon after the Prague conference, they published their first magazine. It was called Travaux du Cercle Linguistique de Prague. Mathesius was its main editor.

In 1936, the Circle also started a Czech magazine. It was called Slovo a slovesnost. Mathesius was also the main editor for this one. Travaux stopped being published in 1939 because of World War II. But it started again in 1995. Slovo a slovesnost focuses on language structure and the Czech language. It is still published four times a year today.

Mathesius's Research

Mathesius's research is usually divided into three periods. These periods show how his focus changed over time. He became more interested in language itself.

Early Literary History (1910–1926)

In his early career, Mathesius studied both literature and language. He started writing a history of English literature. He published two books between 1910 and 1915. He had to stop because he lost his eyesight. These books covered English history from the Anglo-Saxon period to the late Middle Ages. They were very important for starting the English department at the university. He also wrote articles about Shakespeare and his critics in 1916.

At the same time, he began exploring language theory. He questioned the idea that language study should only focus on its history. In 1911, he gave a famous lecture. It was called "On the potentiality of the phenomena of language." In this talk, he talked about the importance of studying language as it is now. This idea was similar to what Ferdinand de Saussure would later say.

Founding the Circle (1926–1936)

In his second period, Mathesius focused on syntax (sentence structure) and semantics (meaning). This was also when the Prague Linguistic Circle began. He also helped the Circle with their work on phonology (sound systems). He introduced ideas like functional load and how phonemes combine. During this time, he also developed his idea of functionalism. This was different from Saussurean structuralism.

Functionalism in Language (1936–1945)

The last part of Mathesius's work was about functionalist theories of grammar. He was a main supporter of this idea. He believed that language should be seen as a complete system. He thought earlier ways of studying language focused too much on written language. He also felt they ignored the role of the speaker or writer. Functionalism fixed these problems. It preferred studying language as it is now, rather than its history.

During this time, Mathesius also became more interested in stylistics. This included things like rhythm and intonation in both Czech and English. Because he lost his eyesight completely, he focused on spoken language. It was easier for him to access.

Throughout his career, Mathesius supported cultural activism. This was especially true after the Nazis took over Czechoslovakia in 1939. He followed the ideas of T. G. Masaryk, Czechoslovakia's first president. Cultural activism meant bringing new life to the Czech national spirit. It also meant changing national holidays. He published two major books on this topic. They were Kulturní aktivismus (1925) and Co daly naše země Evropě a lidstvu (1940).

Lasting Impact

Mathesius's ideas about language functionalism were very important. They continued to be central to the Prague Linguistic Circle's work. Modern linguists have built on his ideas in many ways. His writings led to new ways of understanding how information is organized in sentences. This includes Functional Sentence Perspective and the topic-comment idea. These were developed by linguists like Jan Firbas, František Daneš, Petr Sgall, and Eva Hajičová. Mathesius's ideas also influenced Michael Halliday's work on systemic functional grammar.

Some critics say Mathesius's methods were not always clear. They also felt his observations did not lead to big, unified theories. His work may not have become as famous as his colleagues' work. This might be because he wrote almost only in Czech.

The Prague Circle, which Mathesius started, greatly improved Prague's reputation. It brought the city international attention in the academic world. Mathesius once said that the Circle earned the title "Prague School" abroad. He also said they gave many new ideas to Czech language and literature research. The Circle stopped in 1949 due to political issues. But it was restarted in 1989. Now, it publishes journals, hosts conferences, and supports language research.

Mathesius is remembered at Charles University. There is the Vilém Mathesius Centre for Research and Education in Semiotics and Linguistics. There is also the Vilém Mathesius Foundation for the Promotion of English and American Studies in Prague. This foundation gives yearly awards for the best student papers in English and American Studies.

Main Works

• O potenciálnosti jevů jazykových (On the Potentiality of the Phenomena of Language ), 1911, English translation by J. Vachek 1964.
• Dějiny literatury anglické I–II (The History of English Literature I–II), 1910–1915
• Kulturní aktivismus (Cultural activism), 1925
• On Linguistic Characterology with Illustrations from Modern English, 1928 (published in English).
• Co daly naše země Evropě a lidstvu (What our lands contributed to Europe and mankind), 1940
• Možnosti, které čekají (Possibilities that await), 1944
• Obsahový rozbor současné angličtiny na základě obečně lingvistickém (A functional analysis of present-day English on a general linguistic basis), 1961 (published after his death)
• Jazyk, kultura a slovesnost (Language, culture and poetic art), 1982

See also

In Spanish: Vilém Mathesius para niños

• Prague Linguistic School