Multiculturalism, multilingualism, and the birth of psychoanalysis, II: symbolic codes of Sigmund's early childhood in Příbor

Abstract

The paper, highlighting the aspect of Sigmund Freud's presymbolic and early symbolic development, traces how the “Ursprache” and “Ur Kultur” of Příbor pressed behind other symbolic codes throughout his life's work. Weaving together multiple meanings of the words of Freud's original writings, the paper explores how his early access to a variety of symbolic codes, initially facilitated by his Příbor nanny, who spoke and sang to him in Czech and exposed him to liturgical Latin, in addition to his family's Yiddish and German, contributed to Freud's founding of psychoanalytic theory and clinical practice.

Key words:

• multilingualism
• multiculturalism
• symbolic codes
• presymbolic and early symbolic development
• nanny
• “Ursprache”
• Příbor

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Eva D. Papiasvili

Author

Eva D. Papiasvili is senior clinical faculty and supervisor on the Doctoral program in clinical psychology, Columbia University in New York, a training and supervising analyst, and former executive director of the Institute of the Postgraduate Psychoanalytic Society. She is a member of the American Psychoanalytic Association and a honorary member of the Czech Psychoanalytic Society.