Witold Doroszewski

"The potential conflict inherent in every word, and finding expression in the fact that the use of every word is an individual embodiment of a general concept, is the focal point of semantics understood as a part of linguistics — that is as a science of the meanings of words and the history of such meanings"

"In a certain sense may be considered a superior discipline to lexicology, for results are more important than intentions and the value of theoretical principles must be estimated according to results."

"[ Semantics can be defined as] the science of the meanings of words, [the central issue of which is] the problem of the relationship between words and designata."

"Not only the tools of manual labour, but also the tools of human thought — words — are subject to the laws of historical development. The history of the meanings of words is outside the area of interest of formal logic, and could not be fruitfully studied by the methods of that discipline."

"For Witold Doroszewski, at the root of semantic analysis lies the philosophical issue of the relationship between the general and the particular, the starting point being the analysis of the function of the copula "is". Doroszewski analyses the problem of meaning as closely linked with denotation. It is in that question that he sees the focal point of semantics."

"Professor Witold Doroszewski (1899–1976) was an exceptional personality, a man of great talent and great labour, which ensured him a glittering and rapid career resulting i.a. in the linguistic school that formed around him in the Warsaw academia. The basis of his academic achievements was an original philosophical concept originating from Aristotelian monism, the centre of which was the notion of homo loquens (a talking man). With respect to linguistics, Witold Doroszewski’s outstanding accomplishments are concerned with word formation; lexicography, lexicology and semantics; culture of language; dialectology; general linguistics. Professor Witold Doroszewski’s achievements correspond with various streams of contemporary linguistics and are an object of a continuing academic discourse."

"Doroszewski [was] the author of the most important dictionary of the 20th-century Polish language (at least in the category of general-purpose dictionaries)."

"Witold Doroszewski treated the culture of language as a significant part of linguistics. He believed that popularising correct Polish and knowledge of language is more important than pointing out and analysing linguistic errors since promoting positive models is the basis of work on language. He defined language as one of the forms of the human activity in the society. Apart from numerous specific solutions, radio advice, collected in 3 volumes of O kulturę słowa (About the culture of the word), he also formulated several general principles of the culture of language. He presented the first set of criteria for linguistic correctness, developed theoretical assumptions of the dictionary of correct Polish, defined the notion of linguistic norm and linguistic error. Many findings and observations contained in his studies have been valid to date, his way of treating prescriptive linguistics has been continued by his students."