Non-philological

Describing something that is not related to or concerned with philology. Philology is the study of language in written historical sources; it explores language's structure, historical development, and relationships between languages. Therefore, 'non-philological' applies to fields, methods, or analyses that do not employ philological techniques like textual criticism, etymological research, or the comparative study of languages to understand historical, cultural, or literary aspects. It suggests a separation from these specific linguistic and historical methodologies.

Non-philological meaning with examples

• The archaeologist's analysis of the ancient pottery was purely non-philological. He focused on the artifacts' physical characteristics and their spatial context, without any reference to deciphered inscriptions or linguistic origins. His data collection centered on the materials used, the pottery's design, and its placement within the site, providing a visual but not a linguistic interpretation of its purpose and cultural origins.
• While historians often rely on primary source texts, this particular project adopted a non-philological approach. They chose to focus on archaeological findings, social structure, and material culture. This approach excluded analysis of historical texts or literary sources, and consequently prioritized tangible evidence and societal trends, rather than a deeper textual exegesis and analysis.
• The study of pre-literate societies must, by necessity, be non-philological. Without written records to analyze, researchers rely on anthropological observations, archaeological discoveries, and oral traditions. Interpretation of their culture is built on behavioral observation of customs and objects, which in turn is based on inference rather than language development.
• This art history seminar deliberately embraced a non-philological perspective when considering the paintings. Students explored the artists' biographies, the works' aesthetic qualities, and societal reception rather than analyzing the linguistic conventions within the paintings. They focused on artistic choices and audience reaction which excluded text based comparisons of similar artists, time periods, and cultural groups.