A Revolutionary ‘Helix’ in Linguistic History – As Seen Over Half a Century by One Who Has Lived It (1991) | ||
| Cairo Studies in English | ||
| Volume 2025, Issue 1, July 2025, Pages 44-49 | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/cse.2025.442156 | ||
| Author | ||
| Kenneth L. Pike | ||
| University of Michigan | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Kenneth L. Pike’s keynote, “A Revolutionary ‘Helix’ in Linguistic History,” presents a deep reflection on the evolution of linguistic theory over his career, emphasizing the significance of a holistic approach to understanding language, culture, and human behavior. As the years went by, Pike’s exploration reveals a recurring tension: the push-and-pull between narrow specialization and a broader, more integrative understanding of language. He observes that linguists—whether Sapir, Bloomfield, or Chomsky—predictably leave their personal imprint on their theories, shaped by their perspectives and even subconscious biases. Pike acknowledges the breakthroughs made by structuralists, behaviorists, and generativists, but he also documents a consistent pattern of repetition: each new wave of theory tends to zoom in on a core element—syntax, phonology, or semantics—while losing sight of how language intertwines with culture, behavior, and human choice. Pike’s argument is not merely a theoretical abstraction; he grounds it in vivid, real-world examples that illustrate its significance, as seen in his debates with fellow linguist Bernard Bloch over the nature of phonemic analysis. At the same time, the influence of Edward Sapir’s pioneering work on language and culture helped shape Pike’s development of the emic framework—now a cornerstone of linguistic and anthropological research. Foreword by Amani Badawy. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| linguistic theory; narrow specialization; broad specialization; integrative; culture; understanding of language | ||
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