Language History, Language Change, and Language Relationship: An Introduction to Historical and Comparative Linguistics (2nd Edition) (Trends in Linguistics. Studies and Monographs [tilsm], 218)

Why does language change? Why can we speak to and understand our parents but have trouble reading Shakespeare? Why is Chaucer's English of the fourteenth century so different from Modern English of the late twentieth century that the two are essentially different languages? Why are Americans and English 'one people divided by a common language'? And how can the language of Chaucer and Modern English - or Modern British and American English - still be called the same language? The present book provides answers to questions like these in a straightforward way, aimed at the non-specialist, with ample illustrations from both familiar and more exotic languages. Most chapters in this new edition have been reworked, with some difficult passages removed, other passages thoroughly rewritten, and several new sections added, e.g. on language and race and on Indian writing systems. Further, the chapter notes and bibliography have all been updated Why does language change? Why can we speak to and understand our parents but have trouble reading Shakespeare? Why is Chaucer's English of the fourteenth century so different from Modern English of the late twentieth century that the two are essentially different languages? Why are Americans and English'one people divided by a common language'? And how can the language of Chaucer and Modern English - or Modern British and American English - still be called the same language? The present book provides answers to questions like these in a straightforward way, aimed at the non-specialist, with ample illustrations from both familiar and more exotic languages. Most chapters in this new edition have been reworked, with some difficult passages removed, other passages thoroughly rewritten, and several new sections added, e.g. on language and race and on Indian writing systems. Further, the chapter notes and bibliography have all been updated. The content is engaging, focusing on topics and issues that spark student interest. Its goals are broadly pedagogical and the level and presentation are appropriate for interested beginners with little or no background in linguistics. The language coverage for examples goes well beyond what is usual for books of this kind, with a considerable amount of data from various languages of India. Preface to the first edition -- Preface to the second edition -- Introductory -- 1. Introduction -- 2. The discovery of Indo-European -- 3. Writing: its history and its decipherment -- 4. Sound change -- 5. Analogy and change in word structure -- 6. Syntactic change -- 7. Semantic change -- 8. Lexical borrowing -- 9. Lexical change and etymology: the study of words -- 10. Language, dialect, and standard -- 11. Dialect geography and dialectology -- 12. Language spread, link languages, and bilingualism -- 13. Convergence: dialectology beyond language boundaries -- 14. Pidgins, creoles, and related forms of language -- 15. Language death -- 16. Comparative method: establishing language relationship -- 17. Proto-world?: the question of long-distance genetic relationships -- 18. Historical linguistics, history, and prehistory: linguistic paleontology and other applications of our methods -- Chapter notes and suggested readings -- Copyright acknowledgments -- References Introduction -- The Discovery Of Indo-european -- Writing: Its History And Its Decipherment -- Sound Change -- Analogy And Change In Word Structure -- Syntactic Change -- Semantic Change -- Lexical Borrowing -- Lexical Change And Etymology: The Study Of Words -- Language, Dialect, And Standard -- Dialect Geography And Dialectology -- Language Spread, Link Languages, And Bilingualism -- Convergence: Dialectology Beyond Language Boundaries -- Pidgins, Creoles, And Related Forms Of Language -- Language Death -- Comparative Method: Establishing Language Relationship -- Proto-world?: The Question Of Long-distance Genetic Relationships -- Historical Linguistics, History, And Prehistory: Linguistic Paleontology And Other Applications Of Our Methods. By Hans Henrich Hock, Brian D. Joseph. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [535]-567) And Indexes.