philology vs lingusitics

When learning or teaching a language, it doesn't normally seem necessary to understand theories around language. But, actually, how we approach a language is very much determined by the theoretical framework which underlies any language book or lesson or method - even if that framework is not referred to directly.

Typical questions in the classroom will be - Why do/don't we need to learn grammar rules? What does this word mean? Is this word the same as that word? Should we learn the culture behind the language? Why do I find this bit of language so difficult?

Philologists and linguists have looked at these questions.

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What exactly is 'philology'?

Philology, traditionally, the study of the history of language, including the historical study of literary texts. It is also called comparative philology when the emphasis is on the comparison of the historical states of different languages. The philological tradition is one of painstaking textual analysis, often related to literary history and using a fairly traditional descriptive framework. It has been largely supplanted by modern linguistics, which studies historical data more selectively as part of the discussion of broader issues in linguistic theory, such as the nature of language change.

Philology | Britannica

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This is from someone who is both a philologist and a linguist:

Philology vs. Linguistics

What is the difference between philology and linguistics (and, how can a philologist/linguist be--or be considered to be--a historian)? The difficulty in defining the difference is that the two fields partly overlap. 

Philology is essentially the study of texts, for whatever purpose the investigator has in mind. There are certain techniques, more or less scientific (i.e., involving measuring and counting), such as paleography and critical edition, that are largely used only by well-trained philologists--and thus, not by linguists. Also, the texts are nearly always pre-modern (the author[s]--and often the languages--are generally dead), and the investigation can, and often does, use practically any disciplinary approach known to modern academia--from anthropology to zoology--in order to elucidate the texts and languages of the texts...

The discipline of linguistics is a modern development... the idea of linguistics as something different from philology TODAY is based on the idea that "linguists" have theoretical and methodological training in the "scientific study" of language, both "Language" in general and languages, especially modern spoken languages... it is notable that linguistics has developed many subfields devoted to questions largely ignored by the earlier (not modern) historical-comparative philologists, such as syntax, typology, pragmatics, semantics, and so forth. Many of these subfields have developed their own jargon and theoretical frameworks, such that other linguists are unable to understand their work at all.

LINGUIST List 9.741: Philology vs. Linguistics

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This is an explanation of why we don't use the description in the English-speaking world:

In the Anglo-Saxon world, the term philology to describe work on languages and literatures, which had become synonymous with the practices of German scholars, was abandoned as a consequence of anti-German feeling following World War I. Most continental European countries still maintain the term to designate departments, colleges, position titles, and journals. J. R. R. Tolkien opposed the nationalist reaction against philological practices, claiming that "the philological instinct" was "universal as is the use of language". In British English usage, and in British academia, philology remains largely synonymous with "historical linguistics", while in US English, and US academia, the wider meaning of "study of a language's grammar, history and literary tradition" remains more widespread.

Philology - Wikipedia

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Finally, another difference:

Etymology is a study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time and Philology is a study of language in written historical sources

Etymology vs. Philology - What's the difference? | Ask Difference

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