The language and all areas of knowledge are studied in a single discipline: Philology. Thus, within this area, there is a wide range of branches and dimensions: phonetics , syntax, semantics, linguistics , grammar, semiotics, pragmatics, lexicography, text commentary or literature .
Focusing on the term philology, it comes from the Greek and literally means “love for words” (the prefix philos is related to the idea of love and the word logos means word, among other things).
Lesser Known Branches of Philology
- – Hermeneutics, also known as theory of interpretation, is responsible for analyzing the correct meaning of a text.
- – When it comes to understanding and interpreting an ancient text, this task is one of echodotics.
- – The exegesis of a text consists in explaining the linguistic, cultural and historical dimensions related to it.
- – Epigraphy studies inscriptions made in stone or other materials other than paper. Philology
- – Paleography deals with knowledge of the various forms of ancient writing.
- – In relation to texts studied and written originally on papyrus, papyrology is the specific branch that deals with its analysis.
Philological studies are an auxiliary tool of history
In this sense, a historian can only approach the facts of the past if he knows the written historical sources (this task is known as heuristics ).
In the universe of philology there are several linguistic and literary fields: the classic from Greek and Latin, the Indo-European, the medieval, the Semitic, the Germanic, the Slavic, among others.
The first philologists belonged to the Alexandrian school
From century III a. C, in the mythical library of Alexandria, scholars from all scientific disciplines began to develop their research.
In this Greek city located north of Egypt, the first philologists began to create a methodology for analyzing the classic texts of Greek literature and Hellenic culture in general. Among them we can highlight Filets of Cos, Zenodotus of Ephesus, Aristophanes of Byzantium and Aristarchus of Samothrace.
The methods of these scholars were fundamental to the development of biblical philology.
in the field of work
This type of training has a natural output, teaching. However, there are other professional options: freelance copywriter, copywriter, translator or style broker in a media . On the other hand, it is worth noting that publishers need qualified readers to prepare reports on the different forms of literary creation.
Finally, in the world of journalism, philologists can perform different kinds of tasks.
