Some thoughts on Indo-European studies and ‘method’

Abstract

Drawing on an article by Tristano Bolelli (Alcuni problemi di metodo nella linguistica indoeuropea, 1968), in which the training role of the method of Indo-European studies in linguistic studies is emphasised, this paper proposes a historiographical reconstruction of the origin of the idea that Indo-European linguistics provided a lesson in methodology starting with the work of Franz Bopp.