Derivation as a Universal Category of Language: On the 95th Anniversary of the Founder of Perm Derivatological School, Professor L. N. Murzin

The article, dedicated to the anniversary of a famous Russian linguist, the founder of Perm school of derivatology, reveals the meaning of the main concepts and methods of this perspective of language research. A brief outline of the formation of derivatology is provided, the role of the leader of Perm school, Professor L. N. Murzin, in this process is emphasized. The term derivation has a broad interpretation within the framework of derivatology. The central idea of derivatology is the concept of language as a synchronous-dynamic system including units of all levels connected by derivational relations. The principle of derivation becomes a methodological foundation for describing (modeling) language structures and text-generating processes. It is suggested that the concept of derivation determines the specificity of a new linguistic paradigm. The traditional idea of statics (in synchrony) and dynamics (in diachrony) of language as an antinomy is understood in derivatology as a dialectical unity of reproduction and production, inherent in any process of text generation. One of the most important results of language research within the frames of derivational theory is the suggestion that each derivational step (the main dynamic unit) is carried out simultaneously as the reproduction of units specified by the system and as the production of a new language unit. It is shown that the nature of any linguistic unit is explained by its involvement in the process of text formation, and therefore the production of secondary language units is ultimately dependent on the needs of communication. An attempt is made to consider the category of derivation in the aspect of transdisciplinarity. It is noted, in particular, that the principle of derivation plays a significant role in the methodology of both cognitive sciences and natural science.