Introduction: Collecting Languages in the Long Nineteenth Century

Abstract

The long nineteenth century saw both collecting and interest in languages take scientific turns, and it also saw important changes in perceptions about countries and the language communities living within them. This introductory essay provides a brief account of these cultural changes, showing how language collecting was situated at their intersection. The language collectors who are the subjects of the seven essays that will follow are introduced within this overview of scientific collecting and linguistic nationalisms.