“Chomskyan revolution” in Bulgarian socio-cultural and linguistic environment
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11649/sm.1540Keywords:
Bulgarian transformational-generative syntax, cross-cultural reception of Chomskyan linguistic theories, Chomskyan revolution, trasnformational-generative grammarAbstract
Chomskyan revolution in Bulgarian socio-cultural and linguistic environment
The term Chomskyan revolution, referring to the innovative current in modern American linguistics and Noam Chomsky as it’s leading figure, permeated the metaphorical imagery of the popular linguistic and socio-cultural spheres in the USA. This term actually surpassed specialized linguistic circles, where it designated Chomsky’s transformational-generative grammar model and normally appeared in quotation marks. However, although Chomskyan revolution came to occupy a central position in the American network of unquestioned cultural mythologemes, its Bulgarian reception was different. The overall impression in Bulgarian linguistic and socio-cultural circles regarding the revolutionary leap has been rather skeptical and reserved, although the Chomskyan grammar model itself has been introduced into research practice. Such a difference in attitudes towards the status of transformational-generative grammar in the source and a target country is discussed here in terms of motivations and basic positions.
Rewolucja Chomsky’ego w bułgarskim środowisku społeczno-kulturowym i lingwistycznym
Termin „rewolucja Chomsky'ego”, odnoszący się do całkowicie nowatorskiego nurtu współczesnego językoznawstwa amerykańskiego i Chomsky'ego jako jego wiodącej postaci, przeniknął do popularnej sfery językowej i społeczno-kulturowej w USA jako część ich metaforycznego imaginarium. Przekroczył on niejako granice wyspecjalizowanych środowisk lingwistycznych, które standardowo zapisywały go w cudzysłowie, i ostatecznie wyznaczył model gramatyki transformacyjno-generatywnej Chomsky'ego. Chociaż „rewolucja Chomsky’ego” stała się centralnym elementem amerykańskiej siatki niekwestionowanych mitologemów kulturowych, środowisko bułgarskie zareagowało inaczej. Ogólna opinia bułgarskich środowisk językoznawczych i społeczno-kulturowych na temat rewolucyjnego skoku była dość sceptyczna i pełna zastrzeżeń, chociaż sam model gramatyki Chomsky'ego został wprowadzony do praktyki badawczej. Przedmiotem artykułu jest właśnie ta odmienność postaw pod względem motywacji i stanowisk zajmowanych wobec statusu gramatyki transformacyjno-generatywnej w kraju źródłowym i kraju odbiorcy.
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