The Bloomsbury Companion to Historical Linguistics

Description

Originally published as the Continuum Companion to Historical Linguistics, this book brings together a number of leading scholars who provide a combination of different approaches to current and new issues in historical linguistics, while supplying an exhaustive and up-to-date coverage of sub-fields traditionally regarded as central to historical linguistics research. The editors aim to build a solid background for further discussion and to indicate directions for new research on relevant open questions. The book includes coverage of key terms, a list of resources, and sections on: • history of research • methodology- phonology • morphology • grammatical categories • syntax • grammaticalization • semantics • etymology • language contact • sociolinguistics • causes of language change It is a complete resource for researchers working on historical linguistics. Cover HalfTitle Series Title Copyright Contents List of Illustrations Figures Tables List of Contributors Editors’ Introduction Historical Linguistics: History, Sources and Resources 1. History of Research 2. Sources 3. Writing Systems 4. Corpora Notes Part I METHODOLOGY Sound Change and the Comparative Method: The Science of Historical Reconstruction 1. Introduction 2. System in Language 3. Regularity of Sound Change in the Languages of the World 4. Sapir and Michelson 5. Bloomfi eld’s 1925 Reconstruction 6. Bloomfi eld’s ‘Sketch’ of 1946 7. PA Studies after Bloomfi eld 8. Comparative Reconstruction by Computer 9. The Reconstruction Engine of Mazaudon and Lowe 10. Reconstruction and Typology 11. Conclusion Notes Internal Reconstruction 1. Introduction to the Method 2. The Method of Internal Reconstruction Exemplifi ed 3. Confi rming the Results of Internal Reconstruction 4. Limitations of Internal Reconstruction 5. Concluding Remarks Typology and Universals 1. Introduction 2. Typology as an Evaluative Tool in Comparative Linguistics 3. Typology and Sound Change/Typology of Sound Changes 4. Typology and Analogical/Morphological Change 5. Typology and Syntactic Change 6. Typology and Language Contact 7. Concluding Remarks Notes Internal Language Classification 1. Introduction 2. Character-Based Classifi cations 3. Distance-Based Classifi cations 4. Subgrouping for Comparative Purposes 5. Outlook Notes Part II PHONOLOGICAL CHANGE Segmental PhonologicalChange 1. Introduction 2. Assimilation and Ease of Articulation 3. Syllable-Based Change and Preference Laws 4. Coda Neutralization and Universal Constraints on Change 5. Metathesis, Dissimilation and Perception 6. Chain Shifting and Sound Change in Progress 7. The ‘Life Cycle of Sound Change’ 8. Conclusion Notes Suprasegmental and Prosodic Historical Phonology 1. Introduction 2. Tonogenesis and Related Phenomena 3. Prosodic Finality and Accent Retraction 4. Accent Protraction 5. Avoidance of Prominence Clash (the OCP) 6. Phrasal Prosody and Linguistic Change Notes Part III MORPHOLOGICAL AND GRAMMATICAL CHANGE From Morphologization to Demorphologization 1. Introduction 2. Morphologization 3. Changes in Infl ectional Morphology 4. Demorphologization 5. Conclusion. Diachrony and History Notes Analogical Change 1. Analogy as a Linguistic Concept 2. Types of Analogy 3. Laws of Analogy? 4. Analogy as an Emergent Force Notes Change in Grammatical Categories 1. The Nominal Categories in Afro-Asiatic Languages 2. Verbal Categories in Semitic Languages Note Part IV SYNTACTIC CHANGE Word Order 1. Introduction 2. Change by Reduction: ‘Free’ to Fixed Word Order 3. Reanalysis: Head—Complement Order 4. Verb Second: Extension and Reduction 5. Grammaticalization of Discourse: Topicalization The Rise (and Possible Downfall) of Configurationality 1. Introduction 2. Approaches to Non-Confi gurationality 3. Indo-European Non-Confi gurationality 4. From Latin to Romance 5. Two Types of Non-Confi gurationality 6. Why Did Confi gurationality Arise? Notes Subordination 1. Nonfi nite Subordination 2. Finite Subordination Notes Alignment 1. Alignment: Defi nitions 2. Alignment Change 3. General Principles of Alignment Change Notes Part V SEMANTICO-PRAGMATIC CHANGE Grammaticalization 1. Introduction 2. Grammaticalization as Reduction 3. Grammaticalization as Expansion Notes Semantic Change 1. Introduction 2. Types of Semantic Change 3. Semantic Change be yond the Word 4. Causes of Semantic Change 5. Towards a Deeper Understanding of Semantic Change Notes Etymology 1. Introduction 2. Etymology in Past and Present 3. What is Etymology? Notes Part VI EXPLANATIONS OF LANGUAGE CHANGE Language Contact 1. Introduction 2. Areal Linguistics 3. Pidgins and Creoles 4. The Effects of Contact 5. Theoretical Issues: Contact and the Nature of Linguistic Change 6. Conclusion Notes Regional and Social Dialectology 1. Two Branches of Dialectology 2. Historical Inferences from Regional Variation 3. Historical Inferences from Social Variation 4. Dynamics of Language Change Causes of LanguageChange 1. Introduction 2. Inter-Generational Transmission 3. Variation and Prestige 4. Teleology in Language Change 5. External Causes 6. Do Internal Causes Exist? Notes A–Z Historical Linguistics References Index of Subjects Index of Authors Index of Languages