The principles in the study of the triad: the language – custom – community

Abstract

Studies of the triad language – custom – community is a synthesis of two parallel research traditions: research centre of Łódź, which is known from studies of the custom – language relationship and research centre o Zielona Góra, famous from its studies on the communitylangugae relationship. In these studies, the starting point for all kinds of considerations are questions about language and the way it is used. Therefore, language is considered as a social tool, cultural storage, a certificate of civilizational changes, track of time and space. Custom and community, however, indicate the attitude of research and define the order of the auxiliary sciences within such language studies. It is very important to remember that one should speak about the custom both in community and individual sense every time when there is a repetition or imitation of the behavior and actions caused by identical communicative needs. That repetition and imitation manifests on all planes or layers of texts: from word formation, the phraseology and syntax, to the genre; it also addresses the functional behavior, fashions and stylistic treatments.