Delivered by William Jones to the Asiatic Society of Bengal on 2 February 1786, this address observed that Sanskrit bears to Greek and Latin a resemblance too strong to be accidental, in both grammatical structure and root vocabulary, and proposed that all three, along with Gothic, Celtic and Old Persian, sprang from a common source which perhaps no longer exists. The passage is conventionally cited as the founding moment of comparative philology and, eventually, of Indo-European linguistics as a discipline.
Facts
AuthorWilliam Jones
Publication Year1786
Source TypePrimary Text
Connections
Associated With
This source names Latin directly: "that Sanskrit bears to Greek and Latin a resemblance too strong to be accidental, in both grammatical structure and root vocabulary, and proposed that all three, along with Gothic, Celtic and Old..."
Source The Third Anniversary Discourse to the Asiatic SocietyWilliam Jones
This source names Sanskrit directly: "1786, this address observed that Sanskrit bears to Greek and Latin a resemblance too strong to be accidental, in both grammatical structure and root vocabulary, and proposed that all three, along..."
Source The Third Anniversary Discourse to the Asiatic SocietyWilliam Jones
Sources
The Third Anniversary Discourse to the Asiatic Society
William Jones, 1786
Claims Backed By This Source (16 claims)
This source backs 16 claims across the atlas. As facts: 9 well-attested. As cited relationships: 5 holds. Plus 2 entities citing it as a general reference with no single fact or relationship attached.
Disposition By Topic
- Linguists, 8 claims: 4 well-attested, 3 holds, 1 general references.
- Sources, 6 claims: 4 well-attested, 2 holds.
- Language Families, 2 claims: 1 well-attested, 1 general references.
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