Principles of Linguistic Change, Vol. 1: Internal Factors

by William Labov

This book develops the general principles of linguistic change that form the foundations of historical linguistics, dialectology and sociolinguistics.  Demonstrates the social as well as cognitive relevance of linguistic research Shows that rapid linguistic change is in progress in the cities of America and England so that urban dialects are becoming more and more differentiated Discusses factors that govern the internal development of linguistic structures: the mechanisms of change, the constraints on change, and the ways in which change is embedded in the larger linguistic system

Genres: Linguistics, Nonfiction, Language

664 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

William Labov was an American linguist widely regarded as the founder of the discipline of variationist sociolinguistics. He has been described as "an enormously original and influential figure who has created much of the methodology" of sociolinguistics, and "one of the most influential linguists of the 20th and 21st centuries".
Labov was a professor in the linguistics department of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and pursued research in sociolinguistics, language change, and dialectology. He retired in 2015 but continued to publish research until his death in 2024.

Reviews

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid.