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The Historicity of Meaning

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The Sense of Language
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Abstract

Language manifests a heritage. We always speak a particular language, a tongue. The particular meanings initially spoken or heard are provided by an articulation which is already given . This givenness of meanings is heritage. As we speak or listen, we bring more or less of our heritage to bear, weakly or strongly, on the presentations of the moment. Thus, and only thus, are meanings realized for what they are. The origin of meanings and so of a language is heritage, but their incipience is the concretion of heritage.

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© 1973 Martinus Nijhoff, The Hague, Netherlands

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Welch, C. (1973). The Historicity of Meaning. In: The Sense of Language. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-9544-7_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-9544-7_4

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-011-8710-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-011-9544-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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