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

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Description

Product Description

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.

Review

"Mufwene's proposals will undoubtedly interest linguists and theorists of evolution alike." Interdisciplinary Journal for Germanic Linguistics and Semiotic Analysis

Book Description

This major 2001 work explores the development of creoles and other new languages.

Book Description

Table of Contents

Frontmatter pp i-vi

Contents pp vii-viii

List of illustrations pp ix-x

Preface pp xi-xvi

Acknowledgments pp xvii-xviii

1 - Introduction pp 1-24

2 - The Founder Principle in the development of creoles pp 25-80

3 - The development of American Englishes: factoring contact in and the social bias out pp 81-105

4 - The legitimate and illegitimate offspring of English pp 106-125

5 - What research on the development of creoles can contribute to genetic linguistics pp 126-144

6 - Language contact, evolution, and death: how ecology rolls the dice pp 145-166

7 - Past and recent population movements in Africa: their impact on its linguistic landscape pp 167-191

8 - Conclusions: the big picture pp 192-207

Notes pp 208-225

References pp 226-245

Author index pp 246-248

Subject index pp 249-255