Philology is the study of language in oral and written historical sources; it is a combination of literary criticism, history, and linguistics. It is more commonly defined as the study of literary texts as well as oral and written records, the establishment of their authenticity and their original form, and the determination of their meaning. A person who pursues this kind of study is known as a philologist.
"At my first coming into the world I had been (implicitly) warned never to trust a Papist, and at my first coming into the English Faculty (explicitly) never to trust a philologist. Tolkien was both."
― C.S. Lewis, Surprised by Joy
Two of my favorite authors.
I don’t recall seeing that quote before. Thanks.
LOL! I love that quote! Thanks!