Connected Philology: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Transcultural Encounters

Even though the similarities of philological methods and traditions across various cultures have been the subject of scholarly research, the reasons for these occurrences usually remain obscure. The present volume addresses this obscurity through introducing the concept of 'Connected Philology' from an interdisciplinary perspective. 'Connected Philology' explores underlying causes for similarities in philological practices: in the process of re-textualisation, written and oral traditions are translated, reformulated, and combined; the contact with foreign cultures leads to the expression of unfamiliar concepts in other languages, and the reconceptualisation of word meanings. In addition, such practices are understood in the context of an interplay between politics, society, and individual actors. The contributions focus on transcultural encounters, the subsequent movement of texts, processes of cultural transfer, as well as the history and politics of connected and connecting philology. Connected Philology transcends both national and disciplinary boundaries within philology and establishes connections with history, cultural studies, and linguistics.