Reflexões acerca do conceito de língua como uma instituição social em William Dwight Whitney

Abstract

This article deals with the concept of language as a social institution tributary to William Dwight Whitney (1827-1894). His thought about the nature of language represented a turning point in linguistic studies. Postulating that language was a social institution, Whitney, contradicting innatist theories, insisted that language is a human creation as all other social institutions. This would be the reason why language is constantly changing. Changes that would arise primarily in the speakers of a language, as they reflect on themselves as individuals and as members of a society. Two related processes would be involved: the change of speakers would cause change in language; language changes and such change would reflect a change in speakers.