Page "Philology" Paragraph 8

The meaning of " love of learning and literature " was narrowed to " the study of the historical development of languages " ( historical linguistics ) in 19th-century usage of the term.

Due to the rapid progress made in understanding sound laws and language change, the " golden age of philology " lasted throughout the 19th century, or " from Friedrich Schlegel to Nietzsche ".

In the Anglo-Saxon world, the term philology to describe work on languages and literatures, which had become synonymous with the practices of German scholars, was abandoned as a consequence of anti-German feeling following World War I.

Most continental European countries still maintain the term to designate departments, colleges, position titles, and journals.

J. R. R. Tolkien opposed the nationalist reaction against philological practices, claiming that " the philological instinct " was " universal as is the use of language ".

In British English usage, and in British academia, " philology " remains largely synonymous with " historical linguistics ", while in US English, and US academia, the wider meaning of " study of a language's grammar, history and literary tradition " remains more widespread.