Linguistic Typology as a subject

5. THE SUBJECT-MATTER OF LINGUISTIC TYPOLOGY

• Linguistic typology is a branch of general linguistics. There is no unanimity in defining the subject matter of linguistic typology. There are broad and narrow interpretations of its subject matter. James Ellis2
• The subject-matter theory of translation, dialec­tology and borrowings to the bulk of Linguistic typology. These branches do have relations to Linguistic typology but also constitute the subject-matter of other special fields of knowledge.

There is a great variety of terms: areal linguistics, structural linguistics, characterology, language universals, translational grammar, comparative philology, contrastive linguistics, confrontational linguistics, etc.

• There is a great variety of terms: areal linguistics, structural linguistics, characterology, language universals, translational grammar, comparative philology, contrastive linguistics, confrontational linguistics, etc.
• With further development of linguistic science scholars start differentiating the terms "comparison" and "confrontation". While comparative method implied com­parison of cognate /related languages, confrontational method was derived to denote comparison of genetically non-related languages.

Roman Jacobson contributed to the definition of subject-matter of Linguistic ty­pology stating that "Genetic method deals with relationship of languages, areal meth­od deals with similarities while typological method deals with isomorphism"3.

• Roman Jacobson contributed to the definition of subject-matter of Linguistic ty­pology stating that "Genetic method deals with relationship of languages, areal meth­od deals with similarities while typological method deals with isomorphism"3.
• Isomorphism can unite various statuses of languages, both synchronically and diachronically or statuses of 2 different languages, a really close or distant; geneti­cally related and non-related.