Understanding Language Change

by April M.S. McMahon

How and why do language changes begin; how and why do they spread; and how can they ultimately be explained? This new textbook sets out to answer these questions in a clear and helpful way that will be accessible to all students with only an elementary knowledge of linguistics. In the first half of the book Dr. McMahon analyzes changes from every area of grammar. In the second she looks at such topics as language contact, linguistic variation, pidgins and Creoles, and language death. Throughout, the discussion is illustrated by a wealth of examples from English and other languages.

Genres: Linguistics, Nonfiction

376 pages, Paperback

First published March 17, 1994

Reviews

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

A complete guide on the historical change of language. It discusses all linguistic patterns: phonetics and phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, linguistic variation and it concludes with pidgins and creoles and language death. These changes are from a wide range of languages with more focus in the Indo- European family. There is also evaluation of a number of theories and finally the causes of these changes: some happen from within (the linguistic system itself) and others are motivated by external factors and specifically by contact between languages.