Bringing the advances of theoretical linguistics to the study of
language change in a systematic way, this innovative textbook
demonstrates the mutual relevance of historical linguistics and
contemporary linguistics. Numerous case studies throughout the book
show both that theoretical linguistics can be used to solve
problems where traditional approaches to historical linguistics
have failed to produce satisfying results, and that the results of
historical research can have an impact on theory. The book first
explains the nature of human language and the sources of language
change in broad terms. It then focuses on different types of
language change from contemporary viewpoints, before exploring
comparative reconstruction - the most spectacular success of
traditional historical linguistics - and the problems inherent in
trying to devise new methods for linguistic comparison. Positioned
at the cutting edge of the field, the book argues that this
approach can and should lead to the re-integration of historical
linguistics as one of the core areas in the study of language.
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