VJEKOSLAV BABUKIĆ’S IDEALISTIC VIEW OF LANGUAGE

On the basis of works Osnova slovnice slavjanske narĕčja ilirskoga uredjena Vĕkoslavom Babukićem (1836) and Ilirska slovnica (1854), the authors of this paper present the views of Vjekoslav Babukić on the nature of language. An assumption is made that Babukić’s position was inspired by idealistic theses of the greatest language theorist of the 19th century, Wilhelm von Humboldt (1767-1835), who, continuing the philosophy of Johann Gottfried Herder, saw language as a “specific emanation of the spirit” that actively participated in the formation of human cognition, had an inner strength and belonged to the entire nation. The Illyrian program is entirely leaning against a prominent philosophical and theoretical understanding of the nature of language, whereas Babukić’s grammatical work faithfully follows its guidelines, which is reflected in a considerable number of references to Osnove slovniceand Ilirske slovnice. Based on the analysis of selected texts in Danica ilirska, role models in writing the grammar and, finally, the debate on the origin of the Glagolitic script, a claim is made in the paper that Vjekoslav Babukić was very much familiar with paleo-slavistic and paleo-croatistic issues of his time.