N. M. Karamzin’s Notes to D. I. Fonvisin’s Letter — a Reply in the Debate about Language

The discussion about language plays a crucial role in Russian literature of the early 19th century. It begins with Nikolay Karamzin’s essay Why Are There Few Talanted in Russia? (1802) and Alexander Shishkov’s book Discourse on the Old and New Style in Russian Language (1803), which criticizes Karamzin. The traditional view is that Karamzin refrains from answering Shishkov. The present paper presents an alternative hypothesis, arguing that Karamzin does react, but indirectly. Karamzin’s reply takes the form of comments on Denis Fonvizin’s letter addressed to Osip Kozodavlev, where Fonvizin discusses his work on the Dictionary of the Russian Academy. In October 1803 Karamzin publishes this letter in Vestnik Evropy, the magazine he edits since 1802.

In this letter Fonvizin discusses borrowings from foreign languages in Russian; Karamzin follows suit. The question of borrowings is central in Shishkov’s book. Karamzin takes a moderate course, recommending that a borrowing should be discarded if the same meaning is expressed by an existing Russian word. However, his general opinion is that borrowings are useful, as they help express notions that Russian still lacks. This attitude is contrary to Shishkov’s intent to rid Russian of any borrowings.

This disagreement reflects the difference between two views on language as such. Karamzin sees language as means of expressing notions, which can be international; thus notions may be borrowed as well as words, and along with them if needed. For Shishkov, words come before notions; each word is viewed as a complex of meanings together with its formal and semantic links to other lexical units. These features are specific for any culture, so, in Shishkov’s view, changing this structure by adding borrowings means destroying the language rather than enriching it.