Distinctive to the book is its combination of the traditional standard topics with others now considered vital to historical linguistics: explanations of why languages change; sociolinguistic aspects of linguistic change; syntactic change and grammaticalization; distant genetic relationships; and linguistic prehistory. In addition, this edition contains two new chapters on morphological change and quantitative approaches; an expanded chapter on language contact with new sections on pidgins and creoles, mixed languages, and endangered languages; new sections on the language families and language isolates of the world; examination of specific proposals of distant genetic relationship; and a new section on writing systems.
With its clear, readable style, expert guidance and comprehensive coverage, Historical Linguistics: An Introduction is not only an invaluable textbook for students coming to the subject for the first time, but also an enlightening read for specialists in the field and non-specialists alike.
Features
Practical hands-on approach to the subject, including numerous student exercises
Examples taken from a wide range of languages, including numerous non-Indo-European languages, to illustrate concepts and methods
Engaging writing style combined with insightful coverage makes this an engrossing introduction
Share This Book: