Der Begriff des Sprachgeists in den sprachkritischen und sprachpuristischen Schriften Karl Wilhelm Kolbes (1757-1835)

International audienceThis article deals with the concept of genius of language developed by K.W. Kolbe. First we recall the history of this concept. Then we show different aspects of Kolbe's conception, which he presents in his comparative and critical linguistic writings published between 1806 and 1823. Kolbe's conception has a very far-reaching claim. It is the underlying basis of his view of language as a body and a work of art, his conceptions of the history of languages, of the relations between language and speech community and also between different languages. His puristic view of the evolution and actual state of language, especially German language, is also based on it. We show the presence of traditional topoi in his conception, but we also point out the specific character of Kolbe's view where genius of language, language, national character and speech community are supposed to be different facets of only one closed system