The Ecology of Language Evolution (Cambridge Approaches to Language Contact) (Cambridge Approaches to Language Contact)

This major new work explores the development of creoles and other new languages, focusing on the conceptual and methodological issues they raise for genetic linguistics. Written by an internationally renowned linguist, the book surveys a wide range of examples of changes in the structure, function and vitality of languages, and suggests that similar ecologies have played the same kinds of roles in all cases of language evolution. The Ecology of Language Evolution will be welcomed by students and researchers in sociolinguistics, creolistics, theoretical linguistics and theories of evolution. Cover......Page 1 Half-title......Page 3 Series-title......Page 4 Title......Page 5 Copyright......Page 6 Contents......Page 9 MAPS......Page 11 Preface......Page 13 Tables and Maps......Page 19 1.1 Communal languages as ensembles of I-languages......Page 21 1.2 Pidgins, creoles, and koinés......Page 23 1.3 Language evolution......Page 31 1.4 Thinking of a language as a species......Page 35 1.5 What is the ecology of language?......Page 41 2 The Founder Principle in the development of creoles......Page 45 2.1 Introduction......Page 47 2.2.1 A brief survey of approaches to the development of creoles......Page 53 2.2.2 The koiné lexifiers of creoles......Page 56 2.2.3 Normal, uninterrupted language transmission and the development of creoles......Page 58 2.2.4 The post-homestead phase and the varying basilectalization phase......Page 70 2.2.5 Continuity from lexifiers to creoles......Page 74 2.2.6 Diversity in the selection of features......Page 76 2.2.7 Summary......Page 79 2.3.1 Ethnographic considerations......Page 82 2.3.2 Structural considerations......Page 87 2.4 Conclusions......Page 95 3.1 Introduction......Page 101 3.2 Why are WAEVs (White American English Vernaculars) not creoles?......Page 103 3.3.1 A critique of the literature......Page 106 3.3.2 What history suggests: a Feature-Competition Hypothesis......Page 116 3.4 The development of WAEVs: a creole perspective......Page 118 3.5 Conclusions......Page 123 4 The legitimate and illegitimate offspring of English......Page 126 4.1 Introduction......Page 127 4.2 An insidious naming tradition......Page 128 4.3 How language contact has been downplayed......Page 129 4.4 The development of English in England: when does substrate infiuence matter?......Page 132 4.5 The significance of ethnographic ecology......Page 135 4.6 Mutual intelligibility and the contact history of English......Page 138 4.7 The cost of capitalizing on mutual intelligibility......Page 142 4.8 In conclusion......Page 143 5 What research on development of creoles can contribute to genetic linguistics......Page 146 5.1 Preliminaries......Page 147 5.2.1 Creoles did not develop more rapidly than other languages......Page 150 5.2.3 Creoles were not lexified by standard varieties......Page 151 5.2.4 Some features of creoles and the like originated in the substrate languages......Page 152 5.2.5 The important, though nonexclusive, role of the lexifier in the selection of creoles’ structural features......Page 153 5.2.6 No nonordinary explanations are needed for the development of creoles......Page 154 5.2.8 The Founder Principle accounts for an important proportion of creoles’ structures......Page 155 5.3 Ecology and linguistic evolution......Page 156 5.4 “Creolization” as a social process......Page 158 5.5 The role of contact in the histories of English and French......Page 159 5.6 Language as a species: whence the significance of variation......Page 161 5.7 Some conclusions......Page 162 6.1 Introduction......Page 165 6.2 Languages as a species......Page 168 6.3 The ecology of language......Page 173 6.3.1 A species-external interpretation of ecology: an ethnographic perspective......Page 174 6.3.2 A species-internal interpretation of ecology......Page 177 6.3.3 Another species-external interpretation of ecology: a structural perspective......Page 180 6.4 In conclusion, how history repeats itself......Page 183 7.1.1 Diverse consequences of language contact......Page 187 7.1.2 What this chapter adds to the extant literature......Page 188 7.1.4 A creole-inspired approach......Page 189 7.2.1 Pidgins and creoles in Africa......Page 190 7.2.2 New “ native” European vernaculars......Page 191 7.2.3 Indigenized European language varieties......Page 192 7.2.4 Indigenous lingua francas at the service of the masses and of the colonizers......Page 193 7.2.5 Other, perhaps less indigenous, contact languages......Page 197 7.2.7 European colonization: a linguistic assessment......Page 198 7.3.1 Nilotic migrations southwards......Page 200 7.3.2 The Arabian colonization of Africa......Page 202 7.4.1 Background......Page 204 7.4.2 The Bantu colonization of Central and Southern Africa......Page 206 7.4.3 The relevance of communalism to language evolution......Page 208 7.5 Conclusions: the differentiating role of ecology......Page 209 8.1 From the development of creoles to language evolution from a population genetics perspective......Page 212 8.2 Language vitality and endangerment as aspects of language evolution......Page 219 8.3 Integration and segregation as key ecological factors in language evolution......Page 220 8.4 Colonization styles and language evolution......Page 224 8.5 Overall.........Page 227 1 INTRODUCTION......Page 228 2 THE FOUNDER PRINCIPLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF CREOLES......Page 231 3 THE DEVELOPMENT OF AMERICAN ENGLISHES: FACTORING CONTACT IN AND THE SOCIAL BIAS OUT......Page 235 4 THE LEGITIMATE AND ILLEGITIMATE OFFSPRING OF ENGLISH......Page 237 5 WHAT RESEARCH ON DEVELOPMENT OF CREOLES CAN CONTRIBUTE TO GENETIC LINGUISTICS......Page 240 6 LANGUAGE CONTACT, EVOLUTION, AND DEATH: HOW ECOLOGY ROLLS THE DICE......Page 241 7 PAST AND RECENT POPULATION MOVEMENTS IN AFRICA: THEIR IMPACT ON ITS LINGUISTIC LANDSCAPE......Page 244 8 CONCLUSIONS:THE BIG PICTURE......Page 245 References......Page 246 Author index......Page 266 Subject index......Page 269 "This new work explores the development of creoles and other new languages, focusing on the conceptual and methodological issues they raise for genetic linguistics. Written by an internationally renowned linguist, the book discusses the nature and significance of internal and external factors - or "ecologies"--That bear on the evolution of a language. The book surveys a wide range of examples of changes in the structure, function and vitality of languages, and suggests that similar ecologies have played the same kinds of roles in all cases of language evolution. Drawing on major theories of language formation, macroecology and population genetics, Mufwene proposes a common approach to the development of creoles and other new languages. The Ecology of Language Evolution will be welcomed by students and researchers in creolistics, sociolinguistics, theoretical linguistics, and theories of evolution."--Jacket This major 2001 work explores the development of creoles and other new languages, focusing on the conceptual and methodological issues they raise for genetic linguistics. Written by an internationally renowned linguist, the book discusses the nature and significance of internal and external factors or 'ecologies' that bear on the evolution of a language. The book surveys a wide range of examples of changes in the structure, function and vitality of languages, and suggests that similar ecologies have played the same kinds of roles in all cases of language evolution. Drawing on major theories of language formation, macroecology and population genetics, Mufwene proposes a common approach to the development of creoles and other new languages. The Ecology of Language Evolution will be welcomed by students and researchers in sociolinguistics, creolistics, theoretical linguistics and theories of evolution This major new work explores the development of creoles and other new languages, focusing on the conceptual and methodological issues they raise for genetic linguistics. Drawing on major theories of language formation, macroecology and population genetics, Mufwene proposes a common approach to the development of creoles and other new languages