Witold Jan Doroszewski was born on 1 May 1899 in Moscow; he died in Warsaw on 26 January 1976. His parents: the father, Antoni Doroszewski (physicochemist, director of the Central Chemical Laboratory (Centralne Laboratorium Chemiczne) of the Russian Ministry of Treasury; chairman of the Polish Circle (Koło Polskie) in Moscow), the mother – Maria Tynowska; his wife – Janina Doroszewska (maiden name Rogowska) – professor of special education at the University of Warsaw, sons: Jan – professor of biophysics and health informatics at the Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education in Warsaw; Marek – professor of protozoology at the Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw. He was a soldier in the Polish-Soviet War in 1920 and the September Campaign in 1939, a lecturer of the Underground Warsaw University (1940–1945), an initiator of various academic projects, a sailor – he held a Yachtmaster Ocean certificate and was a member of the Yacht Club (from 1925), as well as a motorsport lover.

He was awarded the title of the Knight of the French Legion of Honour (1939), the Cross of Valor (1945), the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (1954), the Commander's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (1964), and the Order of the Banner of Work, 1st class (1969).

In 1917, he finished middle school in Moscow. It is also in Moscow, in the years 1917-1918, that he studied linguistics under the tutelage of professor Jan Wiktor Porzeziński (1870-1929). In 1918, he enrolled at Warsaw University where from 1918 until 1923 he attended classes taught by prof. Jan Baudouin de Courtenay, prof. Adam Antoni Kryński and prof. Stanisław Szober. He obtained the degree of the doctor of philosophy in 1923. In the years 1927-1929, he studied in Paris at Ecole Nationale des Langues Orientales Vivantes.

I. An academic and organiser

In 1924, Witold Doroszewski started teaching and doing research at the Department of the Polish Language of Warsaw University, moving up the academic ladder from senior assistant in the years 1924-1927 to associate professor in 1930 and full professor in 1938.

In the years 1927-1929 – when studying at École Nationale des Langues Orientales Vivantes in Paris – dr. Witold Doroszewski worked as a Polish language teacher.

In 1930, he became the head of the Department of the Polish Studies of Warsaw University, which position he held until 1968, when he became the head of the Section of the Polish Studies and Lexicological Lab, Polish Studies Institute, Warsaw University; he held this office until his retirement in 1969. From 1935 until 1939, he was the director of the Institute of Phonetics of the University of Warsaw.

In the years 1954-1957, he managed the Dialectology Department of the Polish Academy of Sciences, and from 1957 to 1969 – the Linguistics Section and the 1st Dialectology Lab of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw.

From 1928-1969, prof. dr. Witold Doroszewski gave lectures and seminars at Warsaw University (in the years 1940-1944, at the Underground Warsaw University) in the field of general and Polish linguistics.

What is more, he gave lectures at foreign universities: in Brussels – on comparative grammar of Slavic languages (1934); in Madison, Wisconsin (the USA) – on the Polish language and the Slavic studies (1936-1937); in Bordeaux, Nancy, Collège de France in Paris (1939) and in Oxford, Cambridge, Leeds, London (1958) – on general linguistics.

Moreover, prof. Witold Doroszewski took active part in important events and academic initiatives of national and global significance, namely, he was the secretary general of the International Congress of Slavists in Warsaw (1934); he founded the Polish Department at the University of Wisconsin in Madison (1937); he initiated and lead the preparation of Słownik Języka Polskiego (Polish Dictionary) (1958-1969); he took active part in the preparation of Ogólnosłowiański atlas językowy (The Slavic Linguistic Atlas); he built and managed a team studying the dialects spoken in the regions of Mazowsze, Podlasie, Warmia and Masuria and joined in the work of the team; he initiated the publication of Atlas gwar mazowieckich (The Atlas of the Subdialects of the Mazowsze Region).

A member of major Polish learned societies: associate member of the Warsaw Scientific Society – from 1930, followed by full membership – from 1936; associate member of the Polish Academy of Learning – from 1947; associate member of the Polish Academy of Sciences – from 1952, full member of the Academy from 1957. In the years 1954–1960, 1961–1966, 1969–1974 – deputy chairman of the Committee of Linguistics of the Polish Academy of Sciences, from 1960 to 1961 – deputy chairman of the Committee of Linguistics and Slavic Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences; a member of the Polish Linguistic Society (from 1931 to 1934 – its secretary; from 1956 to 1958 and from 1971 to 1974 – its president); co-founder of the Society for Language Culture Propagation (Towarzystwo Krzewienia Kultury Języka) (after its reestablishment in 1966: Society for Language Culture (Towarzystwo Kultury Języka)) and president in the years 1938–1939 and 1966–1976.

Member of many international and foreign learned societies: the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (from 1963); the Serbian Academy of Sciences (from 1972); associate member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (from 1974); chairman of the International Committee of Slavists (1968–1975); honorary member of the International Committee of Slavists (1975); member of: Société de Linguistique in Paris; Linguistic Society of America, Institut d’Etudes Slaves in Paris, Institute of Slavonic Studies in Prague, Comitée International Permanent de Linguistique.

Editor-in-chief of a bimonthly, later monthly, journal Poradnik Językowy (The Linguistic Guide) (1932–1939; 1948–1976) and a member of editorial teams of the following magazines: Biuletyn Polskiego Towarzystwa Językoznawczego (The Bulletin of the Polish Linguistic Society), Journal de Psychologie Normale et Pathologique, Prace Filologiczne (Philology Papers), Prace Językoznawcze (Linguistic Papers), Studia Warmińsko-Mazurskie (The Journal of the University of Warmia and Masuria).

Academic achievements:

• he developed basic methods of historical and comparative analysis for dialectology and a quantitative analysis method based on the analysis of sounds as social facts (Kilka uwag o metodach badań gwaroznawczych (A Few Thoughts on the Methods of Dialectological Analysis), 1931);
• he showed a close relationship between the language theory of F. de Saussure and the sociological and philosophical concepts of E. Durkheim (Quelques remarques sur les rapports de la sociologie et de la linguistique: Durkheim et F. de Saussure, 1933);
• he described the influence of the English language on the language of Polish immigrants (Język polski w Stanach Zjednoczonych A.P. (The Polish Language in the United Sates of North America), 1938);
• he introduced the differentiation between the structural function and the descriptive and expressive function of affixes in word formation, he was also the first to study the processes of the movement of boundaries between morphological elements of words (“perintegration”) and the processes of transformation of words into a uniform linguistic sign of a designatum (lexicalisation) (Kategorie słowotwórcze (Word-Formative Categories), 1946);
• he described the Polish literary language of the 19th century and formulated general laws of language evolution: the rules of lexicalisation and crystallisation of dominants (Język Tomasza Teodora Jeża. Studium z dziejów języka polskiego XIX wieku (The Language of Tomasz Teodor Jeż. A Study of the History of the Polish Language in the 19th Century), 1949);
• he initiated the study of neurophysiological basis of language evolution and language errors, and analysed the causes of errors related to pronunciation, and to the use of word forms and word meanings (Fizjologiczny mechanizm błędów językowych (Physiological Mechanism of Language Errors), 1950);
• he presented the main tenets of language culture: seeing language as a social activity, stressing the role of consciousness in language evolution and perceiving the links between the language and the society shaping the language (Kryteria poprawności językowej (Language Correctness Criteria), 1950);
• he explained phonetic assimilation as a manifestation of lexicalisation and introduced the fundamental elements of the theory of noun-formation (Podstawy gramatyki polskiej (Basic Polish Grammar), 1952);
• he defined the three basic functions of dictionaries: providing information on the condition of the contemporary language of literature, outlining the history of words, and language standardisation, and he compiled a historical review of dictionaries from ancient times up to the present day, as well as formulated the rules of dictionary publication (Z zagadnień leksykografii polskiej (The Issues of the Polish Lexicography), 1954);
• he practised semiotics – he believed that language is a reflection of reality (Elementy leksykologii i semiotyki (Elements of Lexicology and Semiotics), 1970);
• he criticised, on linguistic grounds, the concept of linguistic relativity of B. L. Whorf and E. Sapir (Język, myślenie, działanie. Rozważania językoznawcy (Language, Thinking, Acting. The Ponderings of a Linguist), 1982).

His academic research was marked by pragmatism – he focused his attention on language activity and the act of communication. He drew on the neurophysiological theories – he accepted Pavlovianism. He was interested in aphasia and psychophysiological aspects and determinants of speech – he cooperated with Jerzy Konorski; thanks to his efforts, the study of speech disorders was taken up at Warsaw University. He investigated the mechanism of language changes and evolution caused by social factors (dialectological publications).

II. Students

Halina Auderska, Barbara Bartnicka, Jan Basara, Danuta Buttler, Jadwiga Chludzińska-Świątecka, Witold Cienkowski, Barbara Falińska, Henryk Friedrich, Renata Grzegorczykowa, Halina Horodyska, Michał Jaworski, Irmina Judycka, Halina Kurkowska, Zofia Kurzowa, Andrzej Maria Lewicki, Halina Mierzejewska, Ludmiła Morawska, Wanda Pomianowska, Jadwiga Puzynina, Halina Rybicka-Nowacka, Jadwiga Sambor, Alojza Halina Satkiewicz, Andrzej Sieczkowski, Stanisław Skorupka, Józef Tarnacki, Jan Tokarski, Bożena Wierzchowska, Andrzej Alojzy Zdaniukiewicz.

III. Witold Doroszewski as the editor of Poradnik Językowy

Professor Witold Doroszewski took charge of Poradnik Językowy in 1932 and managed the journal until 1939, and then after the war from 1948 until 1976. The resumption of publication of Poradnik Językowy in 1948 is entirely down to his efforts. He should also be credited with shaping the structure of Poradnik Językowy: division into sections (despite changes, to a large extent retained until now); and the nature of the journal: fulfilment of the mission undertaken by Roman Zawiliński – the founder of Poradnik Językowy. The purpose of the journal is to provide the successive generations of Poles with academic knowledge on the language and explain the patterns of language phenomena so that they can use the language rationally, correctly and aesthetically. This ambition was fulfilled, in particular, by means of the column Objaśnienia wyrazów i zwrotów (Explanations of Words and Expressions), published by Witold Doroszewski in “Poradnik Językowy” in the years 1935–1939 and 1948–1976.

IV. Works published by Witold Doroszewski (selection – in chronological order)

• "Monografie słowotwórcze. (1). Formacje z podstawowem -k- w części sufiksalnej", Prace Filologiczne 13, 1928, pp. 1-261.
• "Monografie słowotwórcze. 2. Formacje z podstawowem -l- w części sufiksalnej", Prace Filologiczne 14, 1929, pp. 34-85.
• "Uwagi o metodach geografii lingwistycznej", Prace Filologiczne 14, 1929, pp. 484-497.
• "Quelques remarques sur le changement de sens", Prace Filologiczne 14, 1929, pp. 512-517 .
• "O definicję fonemu", Prace Filologiczne 15, part 1, 1930, pp. 220-228.
• Pisownia polska w ostatnich wydaniach: memoriał oprac. na zlecenie Wydziału 1-ego Językoznawstwa i Historii Literatury Tow. Nauk. Warszawskiego, Polskie Towarzystwo Wydawców Książek, Warsaw 1933.
• "Quelques remarques sur les rapports de la sociologie et de la linguistique: Durkheim et F. de Saussure", Journal de Psychologie Normale et Pathologique, 1933, A.30, no. 1-4, pp. 82-91.
• "Mowa mieszkańców wsi Staroźreby: opis i tezy teoretyczne", Prace Filologiczne 16, 1934, pp. 250-278
• "Z zagadnień fonetyki ogólnej", Sprawozdania z Posiedzeń Towarzystwa Naukowego Warszawskiego. Wydział I 27, Warszawa 1934, pp. 37-70.
• "Łączne i rozdzielne pisanie wyrazów", Sprawozdania z Posiedzeń Towarzystwa Naukowego Warszawskiego. Wydział I 28, Warszawa 1935, pp. 33-67.
• Myśli i uwagi o języku polskim: poprawność językowa i nauczanie języka: objaśnienia wyrazów i form: uwagi o pisowni, Ed. M. Arct, Warszawa 1937.
• Język polski w Stanach Zjednoczonych A. P., Prace Towarzystwa Naukowego Warszawskiego, Wydział I, Warszawa 1938.
• "Pokrewieństwo językowe w świetle faktów dialektycznych", Sprawozdania z Posiedzeń Komisji Językowej Towarzystwa Naukowego Warszawskiego. Wydział I 31, 1st vol., Warszawa 1938, 2nd vol., Warszawa 1939.
• "Studium języka a studium literatury", Prace Polonistyczne 1939, Series 3, pp. 7-18.
• (with B. Wieczorek) Zasady poprawnej wymowy polskiej (ze słowniczkiem), Państwowe Zakłady Wydawnictw Szkolnych, Warszawa 1947.
• Rozmowy o języku, Radiowy Instytut Wydawniczy, Warszawa 1948.
• Język Teodora Tomasza Jeża (Zygmunta Miłkowskiego): studium z dziejów języka polskiego XIX wieku, Towarzystwo Naukowe Warszawskie, Warszawa 1949.
• Kryteria poprawności językowej, Państwowe Zakłady Wydawnictw Szkolnych, Warszawa 1950.
• Rozmowy o języku. Seria 2, Polskie Radio. Biuro Wydawnicze, Warszawa 1951.
• Podstawy gramatyki polskiej, part 1, Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe, Warszawa 1952.
• Rozmowy o języku. Seria 4, Państwowy Instytut Wydawniczy, Warszawa 1954.
• Z zagadnień leksykografii polskiej, Państwowy Instytut Wydawniczy, Warszawa 1954.
• Studia i szkice językoznawcze, Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe, Warszawa 1962.
• Wśród słów, wyrażeń i myśli: refleksje o języku polskim, Państwowy Instytut Wydawniczy, Warszawa 1966.
• O kulturę słowa. Poradnik językowy, Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe, vol. I, II, III, Warszawa 1962, 1968, 1979.
• Elementy leksykologii i semiotyki, Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe, Warszawa 1970.
• Elements of lexicology and semiotics, English translation by I. Taylor, Mouton, The Hague 1973.
• Elementy leksikologii i semiotyki, Russian translation by W.F. Konnowoj, Progress, Warszawa 1973.
• O funkcji poznawczo-społecznej języka (wykłady w PAN 1969-1970), Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe, Warszawa 1973 (from the writings of Association for Language Culture).
• Język, myślenie, działanie: rozważania językoznawcy, Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe, Warszawa 1982.

Literature

• "Doroszewski Witold Jan", [in:] A. Śródka, Uczeni polscy XIX-XX stulecia, Agencja Wydawnicza ARIES, Warszawa 1994, 1st vol.: A-G, pp. 398-400.
• B. Falińska (ed.), Witold Doroszewski – mistrz i nauczyciel, Łomżyńskie Towarzystwo Naukowe im. Wagów, Łomża 1997.
• S. Skorupka, "Profesor Witold Doroszewski jako badacz i kierownik naukowy", Prace Filologiczne 18, part 1, 1963, pp. VII-XV.
• J. Pelc, "Wspomnienia pozgonne o Witoldzie Doroszewskim i Julianie Krzyżanowskim", Studia Semiotyczne 8, 1978, pp. 5-10 (offprint).

Author: Józef Porayski-Pomsta

Translation: Anna Karpowicz