History of the General Linguistics Department of the Catholic University of Lublin (1918-1999)

Abstract

The linguistics that has been present at the Catholic University of Lublin since it was established, that is since the academic year 1918-1919, at first was not general linguistics. This is why the author of the article initially tries to find out if the general linguistic aspects were connected with historical-comparative linguistics (Porzeziński, Szober) or Polish linguistics (Gaertner, Szober), or whether they occurred independently. General linguistics sensu stricto appeared at our University only in the middle of 1939 when Assistant Professor Tadeusz Milewski came to work here. However, immediate development of this discipline was stopped by the war. This is why Assistant Professor T. Milewski completed the work connected with establishing the new department only in the years 1946-1950. In 1950, when he definitely left for Cracow, he entrusted the already formed Department to his pupil, first a doctor, and then assistant professor- Marian Nagnajewicz. He gave it − in keeping with his basic interests − adecidedly Latinist colouring. After he left the Department in 1982 it has gained a new research and didactic orientation under the new leadership, that of Professor M. Kaczmarkowski, namely one of general syntax and of linguistics of the text.