Explaining Language Change : An Evolutionary Approach - Couverture rigide

Croft, William

 
9780582356788: Explaining Language Change : An Evolutionary Approach

Présentation de l'éditeur

 Ever since the origins of both linguistics and evolutionary biology in the 19th century, scholars have noted the similarity between biological evolution and language change. Yet until recently neither linguists nor biologists have developed a model of evolution to apply across the two fields. Explaining Language Change presents the first integrated theory of all aspects of language change which builds on the pioneering ideas of Richard Dawkins and David Hull in biology and philosophy of science. It provides a framework for assessing current theories and advances new ideas about grammatical reanalysis, conventional and non-conventional use of language, the structure of speech communities, language mixing, and the notion of 'progress' in language change. This is an important new study which reintegrates sociolinguistics and historical linguistics and weaves together research on grammatical change, pragmatics, social variation, language contact and genetic linguistics.

Revue de presse

'...the book is to be recommended to historical linguists, who will will find much to agree with.'

Linguistics, May 2005

Les informations fournies dans la section « A propos du livre » peuvent faire référence à une autre édition de ce titre.

Autres éditions populaires du même titre

9780582356771: Explaining Language Change : An Evolutionary Approach

Edition présentée

ISBN 10 :  0582356776 ISBN 13 :  9780582356771
Editeur : Pearson Education Limited, 2000
Couverture souple