Between Cratylism and positivism: the old poem and what Alice found there

Abstract

In this paper I shall refer summarily to nineteenth century philology in an attempt to relate it with the wordplay found in the works of Lewis Carroll in order to establish a correct range of (dis)continuities. My aim is to consider the Jabberwocky of Humpty Dumpty within the context of modern philological studies and discoveries. F. A. Wolf and J. Grimm condense a good part of the radical experiments and findings that occurred at that time which can now be contrasted with the textualized adventures of Alice on the other side of the mirror. The looking-glass books need interpreters and seek their correct, original versions just as the interpretation of the words depends on a trustworthy methodology. Surely, as a young philologist, Lewis Carroll was well able to play with those findings, between the world that was ending and that which had just begun. (English text).

Keywords

• Cratylism
• positivism
• Lewis Carroll
• modern philology
• nineteenth century
• wordplay