Philology, derived from the
Greek f???????a (
philologia[1], from the terms
f???? philos meaning "loved, beloved, dear, friend" and
????? logos "word, articulation, reason") is a branch of the
human sciences dealing with
language and
literature, specifically a
literary canon, combining aspects of
grammar,
rhetoric,
historical linguistics (
etymology and
language change),
interpretation of authors,
textual criticism and the
critical traditions associated with a given language.
Philology considers both form and meaning in linguistic expression, combining linguistics and literary studies.
Any classical language can be studied philologically, and indeed describing a language as "classical" is to imply the existence of a philological tradition associated with it.
Because of its focus on historical development (diachronic analysis), philology came to be used as a term contrasting with linguistics. This is due to a 20th century development triggered by Ferdinand de Saussure's insistence on the importance of synchronic analysis, and the later emergence of post-structuralism and Chomskian linguistics with its heavy emphasis on spoken language (performance) and syntax.
