From the early years of Phonology

For more than 30 years, from 1949 till 1982, the two influential linguists Roman Jakobson (1896-1982) and Eli Fischer-Jørgensen (1911-2010) regularly exchanged letters. The Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters has published the entire collection of preserved letters in which we are introduced to two strong personalities: the Russian-born linguist Roman Jakobson and the Danish phonetician and general linguist Eli Fischer-Jørgensen, both members of the Royal Academy, Eli being the first ever Danish woman elected a member.

They were both leading representatives within the field known as phonology, and their letters are no doubt to be considered important documents in the history of international linguistics. Moreover, reading the letters provides a personal dimension to a field in which the usual scholarly articles are often devoid of personal content.