Podziały i opisy głosek zaproponowane przez Antoniego Małeckiego w Gramatyce języka polskiego większej
The classifications and descriptions of speech sounds given by Antoni Malecki in his Larger Grammar of Polish Language

Summary/Abstract: The subject of this article is Antoni Malecki’s conception of description of some vocalic and consonantal questions given in his Larger Grammar of Polish Language (Lvov 863). The definitions, repartitions and descriptions of vowels’ and consonants’ articulation are analyzed, as well as the relation between a phone and a letter. The vowels’ twofold forms are also described in this study. It has been ascertained that the clasifications and descriptions given in the grammar are highly incorrect. Malecki’s statements often aren’t precise and explicit and all his remarks proove the grammarian’s irresolution. It seems that he oscilates between the contemporary and historical point of view – the conscious of the various origin of particular sounds has left its impress on the way of description. The bases of clasification, as in the others Polish grammars of the 9th century, aren’t homogeneous – Malecki assumed three criteria: genetic, sound and articulatory, however he often uses them inconsistently that led to their mixing. Also the descriptions of vowels’ twofold forms may make serious reservations. Still it has to be remarked that Malecki hasn’t made the same mistakes as the grammarians before him and for example he distinguishes a phone and its graphic sign. However he understands the term letter differently than we do it today – he defines digraphs as the letters too, which prooves that for Malecki this term is rather similar to nowaday’s phonogram. Nevertheless it should be remarked that in the examined grammar the vowels and consonants were defined correctly and above all in a quite modern way, for the role of speech organs in making sounds was also considered.

• Details
• Contents