Linguistic Reconstruction: An Introduction to Theory and Method / Edition 1

by Anthony Fox

Overview

How and why are languages constantly changing? Historical linguistics seeks to find out by going beyond the history of individual languages to discover the general principles which underlie language change. But our evidence is severely limited. Most of the world's languages are still unwritten, and even in areas with long written traditions, such as Europe and the Near East, documentary evidence stretches only a little way back along the path of the historical development of languages. How, then, can we uncover our long linguistic prehistory, and what can it tell us about language change? This new book, the first in the major new series, Oxford Textbooks in Linguistics, is an accessible general guide for students with an elementary knowledge of linguistics to the methods and theoretical bases of linguistic reconstruction. Fox provides a comprehensive survey both of orthodox techniques and of newer, less well established principles such as the application of linguistic universals and language typology, and quantitative techniques.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780198700012
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	04/27/1995
Series:	Oxford Textbooks in Linguistics
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	392
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 5.50(h) x 0.88(d)
Lexile:	1500L (what's this?)

About the Author

University of Leeds

Table of Contents

1. Introduction2. Background in Comparative Method3. The Comparative Method in the Twentieth Century4. The Comparative Method: Basic Procedures5. Comparative Reconstruction of Morphology, Syntax, and the Lexicon6. Issues in Comparative Reconstruction7. Internal Reconstruction8. Applications and Implications of Internal Reconstruction9. Reconstructing Language Relationships10. Language Typology and Linguistic Reconstruction11. Quantative Methods in Reconstruction12. Reconstruction, Culture and SocietyReferences

Editorial Reviews

"An exemplary textbook that fills a much-needed gap. Balanced presentation of material; especially good on explaining the rationales behind the various types of reconstruction."—John Hagge, Iowa State University

"...an excellent, informative introduction to the topic which will render great service to students."—The Journal of Indo-European Studies

From the Publisher