Comparing Linguistic Diachronies

Subtitle
The Naxos Papers (Volume III)

This volume presents eight case studies examining diachronic linguistics and language contact, as well as different aspects of language change. The chapters cover a variety of topics and consider the relationship between historical data and linguistic theory. They also examine the diachronic development of linguistic characteristics in different levels of linguistic analysis including historical morpho-syntax, historical phonology, historical pragmatics and historical sociolinguistics. The authors propose modern methodologies of analyzing and explaining the diachronic development of various morpho-phonological and morpho-syntactic characteristics. Focusing on common directions of change in different languages, including English, Gothic, Ancient Greek, Eastern Indo-Aryan and Hebrew, they provide explanations that reveal the role of internal factors as well as of language contact. The volume promotes a dialogue between traditional approaches to language change and modern approaches utilizing new, statistical methodologies. Through this type of dialogue, the volume enriches our knowledge of theoretical perspectives, tools and methods that can facilitate a contrastive analysis of the diachronic development of linguistic characteristics.

Bio

Elly van Gelderen is Regents Professor Emeritus in the Department of English's linguistics and applied linguistics program.

Praise for this book

This book is a great testimony to the vibrant and inspirational Naxos summer school workshops. Using established methodologies but also testing new approaches to diachronic linguistics, the chapters showcase lesser-studied linguistic varieties and periods. From Goths to Greeks, the book will be of interest to advanced students and academics alike.

Joanna Kopaczyk-McPherson Professor of Scots and English Philology, University of Glasgow, UK

This is a fascinating volume that touches on very important topics in historical linguistics. The reader will find studies on lexico-grammatical as well as on lexical change, and likewise several well-structured articles that highlight different aspects of language contact together with excellent analyses of their impact on language change.

Ljuba Veselinova Professor of Linguistics, Stockholm University, Sweden