<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;">Hi Ian,<div>My take on convergence or influence is given in the following two papers:</div><div><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><br></span></div><div><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">LaPolla, Randy J. (Luo Rendi). 2005. Di’er yuyan xide dui diyi yuyan de yingxiang (The influence of second language learning on one’s first language). In Dai Qingxia and Jia Yimin (eds.), <i>Papers from the 4th International Conference on Bilingual Studies,</i> 50-57. Guangzhou: Jinan University Press. (in Chinese)</span><span style="font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: medium;"></span></div><div><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="https://randylapolla.info/Papers/LaPolla_2005_Dier_yuyan_xide_dui_diyi_yuyan_de_yingxiang.pdf">https://randylapolla.info/Papers/LaPolla_2005_Dier_yuyan_xide_dui_diyi_yuyan_de_yingxiang.pdf</a><br></span></div><div><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0cm 14.2pt; font-size: medium; text-align: justify; text-indent: -14.2pt;"><span lang="EN-AU"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0cm 14.2pt; font-size: medium; text-align: justify; text-indent: -14.2pt;"><span lang="EN-AU">LaPolla, Randy J. 2009. Causes and effects of substratum, superstratum and adstratum influence, with reference to Tibeto-Burman languages. In Yasuhiko Nagano (ed.), <i>Issues in Tibeto-Burman Historical Linguistics </i>(<i>Senri Ethnological Studies 75),</i> </span><span lang="EN-AU">227–237</span><span lang="EN-AU">. Osaka: National Museum of Ethnology.<o:p></o:p></span></p><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://randylapolla.info/Papers/LaPolla_2009_Causes_and_Effects_of_Substratum_Superstratum_and_Adstratum_Influence_with_Reference_to_Tibeto-Burman_languages.pdf">https://randylapolla.info/Papers/LaPolla_2009_Causes_and_Effects_of_Substratum_Superstratum_and_Adstratum_Influence_with_Reference_to_Tibeto-Burman_languages.pdf</a> </span><span style="font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: medium;"></span></span></div><div><br></div><div>Essentially the idea is similar to what Jürgen was saying, that it is a matter of habit, but in true convergence situations, the convergence isn’t simply linguistic, its convergence in world view and how to express it, so for example in Singapore you can line up sentences in Hokkien, Malay, and Singlish with basically the same structure and reflecting the same cognitive concepts, similar to Gumperz’ famous article.</div><div><br></div><div>You should also look at Malcolm Ross’s work on metatypy.</div><div><br></div><div>The factors involved are not limited to language, but are general to human behaviour.</div><div><br></div><div>As for divergence, language is, like much of human behaviour, an example of a complex adaptive emergent phenomenon, and so divergence would be a natural outcome of adaptations to different environments or needs. (again, the same as other behaviour)</div><div><br></div><div>All the best,</div><div>Randy<br><div>
<meta charset="UTF-8"><div dir="auto" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div dir="auto" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div dir="auto" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div dir="auto" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div dir="auto" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div dir="auto" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div dir="auto" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div dir="auto" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div><div><span style="font-size: 14px;">——</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 14px;">Professor Randy J. LaPolla</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 13.333333015441895px; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">（罗仁地)</span><span style="font-size: 14px;">, PhD FAHA </span></div><div><span style="font-size: 14px;">Center for Language Sciences</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 14px;">Institute for Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 14px;">Beijing Normal University at Zhuhai</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 14px;">A302, Muduo Building, #18 Jinfeng Road, Zhuhai City</span><span style="font-size: 14px;">, Guangdong</span><span style="font-size: 14px;">, China</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 14px;"><a href="https://randylapolla.info">https://randylapolla.info</a></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">ORCID ID:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="color: rgb(73, 74, 76); background-color: white;"><a href="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6100-6196">https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6100-6196</a> </span></span> </div><div><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 15px;">邮编：519087</span><br style="font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">广东省珠海市唐家湾镇金凤路18号木铎楼A302</span><br style="font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">北京师范大学珠海校区</span><br style="font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">人文和社会科学高等研究院</span><br style="font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">语言科学研究中心 </span></div></div><div><br></div></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline">
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<div><br><blockquote type="cite"><div>On 30 Jun 2023, at 2:33 AM, Ian Joo <ian_joo@nucba.ac.jp> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div><div>Dear Typologists,<br><br>I would appreciate it if you could point to me the literature discussing the purpose of linguistic convergence and divergence.<br>Do they happen simply because they happen - or do they serve any purpose? Do they bring any benefit?<br>For example if my lect changes based on to what my neighbors are speaking, it's an interesting phenomenon, but what good does it do? Does it make me more suitable as a neighbor? Does it make it more easier for me to learn their (dominant) lect? Does it facilitate code-switching?<br>Same about divergence - if a group that split away from a bigger group changes their lect in a divergent manner, then what benefit does it bring? Does it solidate their group identity? Does it help to identify an in-group member?<br>These questions have been stuck in my head for quite a long time now and I would be grateful if you could provide me previous insights on such questions.<br><br>From the Netherlands,<br>Ian<br>_______________________________________________<br>Lingtyp mailing list<br>Lingtyp@listserv.linguistlist.org<br>https://listserv.linguistlist.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/lingtyp<br></div></div></blockquote></div><br></div></body></html>