Principles of Historical Linguistics (eBook)
755 Seiten
De Gruyter (Verlag)
978-3-11-021913-5 (ISBN)
Historical linguistic theory and practice contains a great number of different 'layers' which have been accepted in the course of time and have acquired a permanency of their own. These range from neogrammarian conceptualizations of sound change and analogy to present-day ideas on rule change and language mixture. To get a full grasp of the principles of historical linguistics it is therefore necessary to understand the nature and justifications (or shortcomings) of each of these 'layers', not just to look for a single 'overarching' theory. The major purpose of the book is to provide in up-to-date form such an understanding of the principles of historical linguistics and the related fields of comparative linguistics and linguistic reconstruction. In addition, the book provides a very broad exemplification of the principles of historical linguistics.
Preface 6
Contents 14
Maps and charts 15
1. Introduction 16
2. Phonetics, transcription, terminology, abbreviations 26
3. Sound change: The regularity hypothesis 49
4. Sound change and phonological contrast 67
5. Sound change: Assimilation, weakening, loss 76
6. Sound change: Dissimilation, haplology, metathesis 122
7. Sound change: Epenthesis, elimination of hiatus, other changes 132
8. Sound change: Structure and function 163
9. Analogy: General discussion and typology 182
10. Analogy: Tendencies of analogical change 225
11. Analogy and generative grammar 253
12. Semantic change 295
13. Syntactic change 324
14. Linguistic contact: Lexical borrowing 395
15. Linguistic contact: Dialectology 441
16. Linguistic contact: Koines, convergence, pidgins, creoles, language death 487
17. Internal reconstruction 547
18. Comparative method: Establishing linguistic relationship 571
19. Comparative reconstruction 596
20. Linguistic change: Its nature and causes 642
Notes 678
References 696
Index 744
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"[...] a manual and state-of-the-art-report for readers already committed to linguistic study."
O. W. Robinson in: Journal of English and German Philology