The eighteenth century is an important period both in the history of science and in the history
of languages. Interest in science and especially in the useful sciences exploded and a new
modern approach to scientific discovery and the accumulation of knowledge emerged. It was
during this century too that ideas on language and language practice began to change. Latin
had been more or less the only written language used for scientific purposes but gradually the
vernaculars became established as fully acceptable alternatives for scientific writing. The
period is of interest moreover from a genre-historical point of view. Encyclopedias
dictionaries and also correspondence played a key role in the spread of scientific ideas. At
the time writing on scientific matters was not as distinct from fiction poetry or religious
texts as it is today a fact which also gave a creative liberty to individual writers.In this
volume seventeen authors explore from a variety of angles the construction of a scientific
language and discourse. The chapters are thematically organized into four sections each
contributing to our understanding of this dynamic period in the history of science: their
themes are the forming of scientific communities the emergence of new languages of science
the spread of scientific ideas and the development of scientific writing. A particular focus
is placed on the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778). From the point of view of the
natural sciences Linnaeus is renowned for his principles for defining genera and species of
organisms and his creation of a uniform system for naming them. From the standpoint of this
volume however he is also of interest as an example of a European scientist of the eighteenth
century.This volume is unique both in its broad linguistic approach - including studies on
textlinguistics stylistics sociolinguistics lexicon and nomenclature - and in its
combination of language studies philosophy of language history and sociology of science. The
book covers writing in different European languages: Swedish German French English Latin
Portuguese and Russian. With its focus on the history of scientific language and discourse
during a dynamic period in Europe the book promises to contribute to new insights both for
readers interested in language history and those with an interest in the history of ideas and
thought.
