William S-Y. Wang: Epoch-Making Linguist

Eastward flows the Great River;
With gushing waves it carries away
Gallant souls from days of yore.
— (Song dynasty) Su Shi

Browsing through volumes of the long history of linguistics, the pages glitter with familiar names. Many linguists have dedicated their lives and wisdom to the research of languages, the young talents taking up the works of the old ones and marching forward with force and energy on the path to explore the mysteries of languages. Among the linguists of the 20th century, an eminent name stands out: William S-Y. Wang.

Prof. William Wang is a pioneer in interdisciplinary linguistic studies and a distinguished scholar of evolutionary linguistics. He is a worldwide acclaimed master of linguistics and an epoch-making linguist.

The compilation of the Festschrift in Honor of William S-Y. Wang on his Eightieth Birthday has gained enthusiastic support from numerous linguists in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, East Asia as well as in Europe and the United States. With a total of over sixty excellent contributions covering the major fields of contemporary linguistics, the Festschrift is divided into the Chinese and English volumes and is scheduled to be published on Prof. Wang's 80th birthday. This is an important event not only in the community of Chinese scholarship, but also in international linguistics. It is indeed a great honor to experience this historical event! Living in the present while evoking memories of the past, we cannot but feel an upsurge of excitement.

The title of the Festschrift, "Eastward Flows the Great River", has two implications: one is a metaphoric depiction of Prof. Wang's attitude in linguistic research, which resembles the rolling waves of the Yangtze rushing eastward, with its waters always flowing forward to finally empty into the ocean of knowledge. The other is to describe the boundless currents of contemporary linguistic studies which started in the West and continue towards the East with booming and innovative vitality. The verse "Eastward flows the Great River" by the Song dynasty poet Su Shi is both succinct and unadorned, but evokes an image of powerful grandeur. With these words the poet expressed his nostalgic sentiments towards the historic heroes, revealing a philosophical insight on the rise and fall of the ages. The power of his writing remains unexcelled to this day.

Our celebration of Prof. Wang's 80th birthday is not merely about recognizing his seminal contributions to linguistic studies, but also about identifying the goal and direction which he represents in contemporary linguistics. Whether viewed from the current global situation of international linguistics, or considered from the historical development of modern linguistics, Prof. Wang's research works on linguistics over the past fifty some years have given us precious inspirations. They also reflect the stride linguistics has made in more than half a century.