Shifts of emphasis in language cultivation

The paper reviews the beginnings of the journal 'Édes Anyanyelvünk' (Our Mother Tongue), its first editorial board, and its role in the context of language cultivation in Hungary. Two areas are discussed in detail: the propagation of knowledge on language, and the recognition of new phenomena in language (langue) and in everyday language use (parole). The paper also deals with novel areas of inquiry (the interdependence between language use and behaviour, spoken language research), supporting its claims by a number of articles from the journal. The author takes issue with widespread views that deny the effectiveness and usefulness of language cultivation.