The literature on glossolalia research surveyed reinforced the first point, as several researchers (for example, Gerrard and Gerrard, 1966: 65-67 De Peza, 1996: 186 et al) cited bias in foregoing studies, especially those treating glossolalia from a psychological perspective. At any rate, a rather substantial account of my own glossolalic practice is included here. the works of linguists who have conducted empirical research on glossolalia may be as useful sources of insight as the responses of practitioners of the phenomenon. in the absence of clarity about a priori matters - premises being followed, facts assumed, and so on - the gathering and analysis of data would be flawed, and in turn, the conclusions reached and 2. The basis of this decision lies, ultimately, in the author’s assessment that 1. However, a decision was made to persist in the mainly theoretical direction of this study. A questionnaire was not only contemplated, but was broached, and the resulting material is appended.

This may seem inappropriate in the field of linguistics where original, empirical research employing a questionnaire, tape recordings and similar instruments - may be deemed more desirable. As a conceptual paper, this thesis largely offers analysis of others’ research. This conceptual study proposes that the scientific study of glossolalia, also known as 'speaking in tongues' can benefit the discipline of Linguistics. They include 'Culture, Genuine and Spurious,' 'The Meaning of Religion,' 'Language,' 'Cultural Anthropology and Psychiatry,' and 'The Statue of Linguistics as a Science.' İçindekiler LANGUAGE1 THE FUNCTION OF AN INTERNATIONAL45 THE STATUS OF LINGUISTICS AS A SCIENCE65 CULTURE GENUINE AND SPURIOUS78 THE MEANING OF RELIGION120 CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY140 PERSONALITY164 THE EMERGENCE OF THE CONCEPT194 The nine contributions brought together in this volume well show the distinction and lasting quality of Sapir's work. The interplay of culture and personality was a field where Sapir was a pioneer and many of his essays have become classics in the social sciences. His stress on the fact that language is a cultural or social product helped to make linguistics an integral part of the study of man. His long essay on language, his principal field of study, is an illuminating exploration of various aspects of the subject. His writings on frontier problems in cultural anthropology, psychology, and linguistics are outstanding for their provocative insights and remarkable control of factual data. Edward Sapir was one of those men, rare among scientists and scholars, who are spoken of by their colleagues in terms of genius.

Language by Edward Sapir