▁Friedrich ▁Sch leg el ▁to ▁N iet z sche ". ▁In ▁the ▁Ang lo - S ax on ▁world , ▁the ▁term ▁phil ology ▁to ▁describe ▁work ▁on ▁languages ▁and ▁liter atures , ▁which ▁had ▁become ▁syn onymous ▁with ▁the ▁practices ▁of ▁German ▁sch ol ars , ▁was ▁abandoned ▁as ▁a ▁consequence ▁of ▁anti - G erman ▁feeling ▁following ▁World ▁War ▁I . ▁Most ▁contin ental ▁European ▁countries ▁still ▁maintain ▁the ▁term ▁to ▁design ate ▁depart ments , ▁colleg es , ▁position ▁titles , ▁and ▁journ als . ▁J . ▁R . ▁R . ▁Tol k ien ▁opposed ▁the ▁national ist ▁reaction ▁against ▁phil ological ▁practices , ▁claim ing ▁that ▁" the ▁phil ological ▁instinct " ▁was ▁" univers al ▁as ▁is ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁language ". ▁In ▁British ▁English ▁usage , ▁and ▁in ▁British ▁academ ia , ▁" ph il ology " ▁remains ▁largely ▁syn onymous ▁with ▁" histor ical ▁lingu istics ", ▁while ▁in ▁US ▁English , ▁and ▁US ▁academ ia , ▁the ▁wider ▁meaning ▁of ▁" stud y ▁of ▁a ▁language ' s ▁grammar , ▁history ▁and ▁literary ▁tradition " ▁remains ▁more ▁w ides p read . ▁Based ▁on ▁the ▁har sh ▁critique ▁of ▁Friedrich ▁N iet z sche , ▁some ▁US ▁sch ol ars ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁have ▁viewed ▁phil ology ▁as ▁responsible ▁for ▁a ▁narrow ly ▁scient istic ▁study ▁of ▁language ▁and ▁literature . ▁ ▁Branch es ▁ ▁Compar ative ▁▁ ▁The ▁compar ative ▁lingu istics ▁branch ▁of ▁phil ology ▁studies ▁the ▁relationship