The Genesis of Sri Lanka Malay: A Case of Extreme Language Contact (Brill's Studies in South and Southwest Asian Languages, 3)

Sri Lanka Malay shows extreme language contact: Malay phonology and lexicon are squared with clearly Indian morphosyntax and semantics. Historical, anthropological, typological and structural approaches shed light on the complex genesis and rapid evolution of this language. In The Genesis of Sri Lanka Malay: A Case of Extreme Language Contact, the synchrony and diachrony of Sri Lanka Malay are investigated from a variety of angles: Experts on South Asia, South East Asia, Creole Studies, Areal Linguistics, Typology, and Sociolinguistics all contribute their share to a truly global analysis of one of the most extreme cases of language contact, where the Malays changed the whole morphosyntax of their language in as little as just over three centuries. The genesis of Sri Lanka Malay informs theories of language contact, language change, and'creolization', as well as sociolinguistics, language policy and planning and a critical analysis of the'endangered language'discourse. Edited By Sebastian Nordhoff. This Book Is A Result Of The Workshop 'past, Present, And Future Of Sri Lanka Malay' Held At The Max-planck Institute For Evolutionary Anthropology In Leipzig In November 2010. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.