[Lingtyp] A terminological quandary: 'library studies'

[Hartmut Haberland]

Yes, Martin, and remember that some of the first studies of North American native languages were done by the U.S: Geological Survey:

"In the late 1800s, John Wesley Powell, the second director of the U.S. Geological Survey, followed his interest in the Tribes of the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau and studied their cultures, languages, and surroundings. From that early time, the U.S. Geological Survey has recognized the importance of Native knowledge as a complement to the U.S. Geological Survey mission to better understand the Earth and its systems." (USGS website).

-----Oprindelig meddelelse-----
Fra: Martin Haspelmath
Sendt: 24. november 2020 10:49
Til: lingtyp at listserv.linguistlist.org
Emne: Re: [Lingtyp] A terminological quandary: 'library studies'

[...]

It seems that "fieldwork" derives from observational natural sciences such as geology or biology, and it was adopted into anthropology in a context when it was still strongly associated with archaeology and "natural history": Populations outside the major (especially European) civilizations were regarded as "Naturvölker" (= indigenous people close to nature), and the term "fieldwork" fits naturally into this earlier context.

[...]