Language as a social phenomenon in works of W. Gumboldt and A. A. Potebnya

The paper contains a thorough analysis of a language as a means of poetic, cultural and social integration. This concept has been presented by W. von Gumboldt, and compared with a linguistic concept by A.A. Potebnya, a distinguished figure in philology and literature studies. It has outlined the issue of a language origin and the role of a language. Gumboldt sees a language as a social integrator, while for Potebnya it is a symbol. The paper shows a language as a social factor, as a matter caused by social practices. Therefore, as long as a person's social status changes, his thinking and outlook are set to change as well.