From Linguistic Areas to Areal Linguistics

From Linguistic Areas to Areal Linguistics PDF

Author: Pieter Muysken

Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 308

ISBN-13: 9789027231000

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From linguistic areas to areal linguistics explores language description and typology in terms of areal background, presenting case studies in areal linguistics. Some concern well-established linguistic areas such as the Balkan, other regions such as East Nusantara (Indonesia) and the Guapore-Mamore (Amazon) regions have never before been studied in an areal perspective, and yet other areas are involved in current debates. The insight has gained ground that languages owe many of their characteristics to the languages they are in contact with over time. Yet the nature of these areal influences remains a matter of debate. Furthermore, areas are often hard to define. Hence the title: a shift from linguistic areas as concrete and circumscribed objects to a new way of doing linguistics: areally. New findings include the observation that there may be many more language areas than previously recognized. The book is primarily directed at linguists working in descriptive, comparative, historical and typological linguistics. Since it covers linguistic areas from four continents, it will have a wide appeal.

Linguistic Areas

Linguistic Areas PDF

Author: April McMahon

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2006-05-02

Total Pages: 313

ISBN-13: 0230287611

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The contributors to this collection address issues of definition and theory of linguistic areas, analyze the process of convergence, and introduce methods to assess the impact of language contact across geographical zones. New case studies are accompanied by discussions that revisit some of the more well-established linguistic areas.

Geographical Typology and Linguistic Areas

Geographical Typology and Linguistic Areas PDF

Author: Osamu Hieda

Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing

Published: 2011-01-26

Total Pages: 329

ISBN-13: 9027273952

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Is Africa a linguistic area (Heine & Leyew 2008)? The present volume consists of sixteen papers highlighting the linguistic geography of Africa, covering, in particular, southern Africa with its Khoisan languages. A wide range of phenomena are discussed to give an overview of the pattern of social, cultural, and linguistic interaction that characterizes Africa's linguistic geography. Most contributors to the volume discuss language contact and areal diffusion in Africa, although some demonstrate, with examples from non-African linguistic data, including Amazonian and European languages, how language contact may lead to structural convergence. Others investigate contact phenomena in social-cultural behavior. The volume makes a large contribution toward bringing generalized theory to data-oriented discussions. It is intended to stimulate further research on contact phenomena in Africa. For sale in all countries except Japan. For customers in Japan: please contact Yushodo Co.

Europe and the Mediterranean as Linguistic Areas

Europe and the Mediterranean as Linguistic Areas PDF

Author: Paolo Ramat

Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing

Published: 2007-07-13

Total Pages: 394

ISBN-13: 9027292221

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This volume is a collection of 12 papers which originated from a research project on ‘Europe and the Mediterranean from a linguistic point of view: history and prospects’. The papers deal with specific morphosyntactic aspects of language structure and evolution. The comparative perspective is adopted both from a synchronic (typological) and a diachronic (historical) angle, focusing in particular on possible contact phenomena. Therefore, methodological key words of this book are areal typology and linguistic area. The issues addressed cover such diverse aspects of language structure and change as verb morphology, relative clause formation, Noun Phrase determination, demonstrative systems, possessive markers in Noun Phrases, conjunctive, disjunctive and adversative constructions, non-canonical object marking, impersonal constructions, reduplication and early translations of the Gospels. These topics are discussed particularly in relation to Romance, Germanic, Celtic and Semitic languages, both modern and ancient. This book will interest researchers in typological, historical, functional and general linguistics.

The Languages and Linguistics of the New Guinea Area

The Languages and Linguistics of the New Guinea Area PDF

Author: Bill Palmer

Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG

Published: 2017-12-04

Total Pages: 1036

ISBN-13: 3110567261

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The Languages and Linguistics of the New Guinea Area: A Comprehensive Guide is part of the multi-volume reference work on the languages and linguistics of all major regions of the world. The island of New Guinea and its offshore islands is arguably the most diverse and least documented linguistic hotspot in the world - home to over 1300 languages, almost one fifth of all living languages, in more than 40 separate families, along with numerous isolates. Traditionally one of the least understood linguistic regions, ongoing research allows for the first time a comprehensive guide. Given the vastness of the region and limited previous overviews, this volume focuses on an account of the families and major languages of each area within the region, including brief grammatical descriptions of many of the languages. The volume also includes a typological overview of Papuan languages, and a chapter on Austronesian-Papuan contact. It will make accessible current knowledge on this complex region, and will be the standard reference on the region. It is aimed at typologists, endangered language specialists, graduate and advanced undergraduate students, and all those interested in linguistic diversity and understanding this least known linguistic region.

The Mainland Southeast Asia Linguistic Area

The Mainland Southeast Asia Linguistic Area PDF

Author: Alice Vittrant

Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG

Published: 2019-06-04

Total Pages: 798

ISBN-13: 3110402130

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This book lies at the crossroads of areal typology, language contact and genetic affiliation. Concerned with mainland Southeast Asia in particular, the various grammatical sketches lay emphasis on characteristics shared by unrelated languages.

The Cambridge Handbook of Areal Linguistics

The Cambridge Handbook of Areal Linguistics PDF

Author: Raymond Hickey

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2017-04-20

Total Pages: 1687

ISBN-13: 1316839451

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Providing a contemporary and comprehensive look at the topical area of areal linguistics, this book looks systematically at different regions of the world whilst presenting a focussed and informed overview of the theory behind research into areal linguistics and language contact. The topicality of areal linguistics is thoroughly documented by a wealth of case studies from all major regions of the world and, with chapters from scholars with a broad spectrum of language expertise, it offers insights into the mechanisms of external language change. With no book currently like this on the market, The Cambridge Handbook of Areal Linguistics will be welcomed by students and scholars working on the history of language families, documentation and classification, and will help readers to understand the key area of areal linguistics within a broader linguistic context.

Linguistic Superdiversity in Urban Areas

Linguistic Superdiversity in Urban Areas PDF

Author: Joana Duarte

Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing

Published: 2013-12-18

Total Pages: 318

ISBN-13: 902727133X

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Rapidly increasing migration flows contribute to the development of multiple forms of social and cultural differentiation in urban areas – or to ‘super-diversity’. Language diversity is an important part of the resulting new social and cultural constellations. Although linguistic diversity is not a new phenomenon per se, the response of individuals or education systems to it is still largely based on a monolingual habitus, associating one nation (or a region within a nation) to one language. Building on the top-quality expertise of researchers from different academic fields, the volume offers insights into the study of linguistic diversity from linguistic and education science perspectives. The studies derive from different countries, different disciplines, different research traditions and methodological approaches, all aiming towards a better understanding of actual linguistic reality and its consequences for individual language development and for education.The book addresses an academic readership and experts who are interested in learning more about linguistic diversity as an inevitable effect of globalisation, and on ways to deal with this reality in research as well as practise in urban areas.