Among the 19th-century Western linguists, Humboldt is a unique figure. He was in an era when historical comparative methods were dominant in language studies, but he was not limited by historical tendencies. He is walking ahead of his contemporaries, devoting himself to exploring universal issues such as the nature and function of language, and the relationship between language and thinking, thus laying the foundation for modern linguistics. The middle of the century has not yet caught the attention of linguistics. It can be considered:. ["The dominance of the historical comparison method determines Humboldt's ideological tendency.", 'Modern linguistics is concerned with issues of general theoretical significance.', "Humboldt's unique insights have always been unacceptable.", 'Humboldt became famous by repelling historical comparisons.']