33.2117, Review: Historical Linguistics: Campbell (2021)
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LINGUIST List: Vol-33-2117. Thu Jun 23 2022. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.
Subject: 33.2117, Review: Historical Linguistics: Campbell (2021)
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Date: Thu, 23 Jun 2022 17:28:49
From: Philemon Gomwalk [philgomwalk at outlook.com, philgomwalk at gmail.com]
Subject: Historical Linguistics, Fourth Edition
Discuss this message:
http://linguistlist.org/pubs/reviews/get-review.cfm?subid=36779477
Book announced at http://linguistlist.org/issues/32/32-2414.html
AUTHOR: Lyle Campbell
TITLE: Historical Linguistics, Fourth Edition
SUBTITLE: An Introduction
PUBLISHER: MIT Press
YEAR: 2021
REVIEWER: Philemon Victor Gomwalk, University of Jos
INTRODUCTION
The contents of the fourth edition of Campbell's well-known textbook,
“Historical Linguistics” (henceforth referred to as Campbell, 2021, in order
to differentiate it from previous editions) offer the average reader useful
intellectual insights into historical and comparative dimensions of human
language in general. On this global level of evaluation, the text provides
valuable snippets of why it is important for all enlightened readers of books
(including established academic scholars) to understand not only how, but also
why different languages and language groups in the contemporary world have
been able to evolve from historical and “comparative” points of view. From
this perspective of satisfying the human curiosity for new knowledge,
Campbell’s text should be of general interest and appeal to all with abiding
interests in matters relating to the historical epistemology of language
evolution and linguistic change.
The main topics covered in Campbell (2021) are organized as follows (by
chapter heading and major sub-headings):
Introduction: (pp. 1-14). Sub-heads include, What is historical linguistics
about?, Kinds of Linguistic Changes).
2. Sound Change: (pp. 15-60). Sub-heads include, Kinds of Sound Change,
non-Phonemic
(allophonic) Changes, Phonemic Changes, Sporadic Changes, Relative Chronology,
Chain Shifts, etc.)
3. Loanwords (Borrowing): (pp. 61-86). Sub-heads include, What is a Loanword?,
How do words get borrowed?, How do we identify Loanwords and determine
direction of
Borrowing?, Loans as clues to Linguistic Change in the past, etc.).
4. Analogical change: (pp. 87-101). Sub-heads include, Proportional Analogy,
Analogical Leveling, Analogical Extension, Analogy and Sound Change, etc.).
5. Lexical Change: (pp. 102-117). Sub-heads include, Lexical Change and New
words, Obsolescence and Loss of Vocabulary, Suppletion).
6. Semantic change: (pp. 118-139). Sub-heads include Traditional notions of
Semantic Change; Attempts to explain Semantic Change).
7. The Comparative Method and Linguistic Reconstruction: (pp. 140-193).
Sub-heads include, The Comparative Method up close, Indo-European and the
Regularity of Sound Change; Basic Assumptions of the Comparative Method,
Temporal limitations to the Comparative Method, etc.).
8. Internal Reconstruction: (pp. 194-218). Sub-heads include Internal
Reconstruction illustrated, Relative Chronology, Limitations of Internal
Reconstruction; Internal Reconstruction and The Comparative Method).
9. Linguistic Classification and Methods of Language Change: (pp. 219-255).
Sub-heads are, the World's Language Families, How to draw Family Trees:
Subgroupings, Models of
Language Change, Sociolinguistics and Language Change).
10. Language Contact: (pp. 256-277). Sub-heads include, What can be Borrowed
besides words?, Areal Linguistics, Pidgins and Creoles, Mixed Languages,
Endangered Languages and Linguistic Change).
11. Changes in Syntactic and Morphology: (pp. 278-310). Sub-heads are
Mechanisms of Syntactic Change, Generative Approaches; Grammaticalisation;
Reconstructions of Morphology and Syntax).
12. Explanations of Linguistic Change: (pp. 311-325). Sub-heads include, Early
Theories, Internal and External Causes, Interaction of Causal Factors,
Explanation and Prediction, etc.)
13. Distant Genetic Relationships: (pp. 326-351). Sub-heads include, Lexical
Comparison, Sound Correspondences, Grammatical Evidence, Borrowing, Semantic
Constraints, Chance Similarities, Erroneous Morphological Analysis, Areal
Linguistics and Proposals of Distant Genetic Relationships, etc.).
14. Writing and Philology: The role of written records: (pp. 352-379).
Sub-heads include Writing and the History of Writing Systems, Philology, Role
of writing, etc.)
15. Linguistic Prehistory: (pp.380-421). Sub-heads are Indo-European
Linguistic Prehistory, Methods of Linguistic Prehistory; Limitations and
cautions).
16. Quantitative Approaches to Historical Linguistics and Technical Tools:
(pp. 422-460) Sub-heads are, Glottochronology, Wordlists, Stability and
Replacement Rates, Other recent Quantitative Approaches, Historical Corpus
Linguistics).
For the most part, the organization of the chapters in Campbell (2013)—the
third edition of Campbell’s textbook—has been retained in Campbell (2021),
except that two new chapters (i.e., Chapter 5: Lexical Change & Chapter 6:
Semantic change) have been created and included in the contents of Campbell
(2021). These chapters may have been constituted from extracted elements from
the erstwhile Chapter 9: Semantic Change and Lexical Change and Chapter 10:
Morphological Change, as found in Campbell (2013). It is also worthy of note
that Campbell (2021) is different from the previous editions of Campbell’s
book from the perspective of having a brand new Chapter 16, Quantitative
Approaches to Historical Linguistics and Technical Tools, added to its
contents.
Assessment of Reviewers’ Comments on Previous Editions of Campbell’s textbook
In providing a review of the first edition of Campbell’s Historical
Linguistics (Campbell, 1999) for the Linguist List book review series, Bowern
(1999) cited Campbell’s textbook, alongside Trask (1998) and Crowley (1997),
as important books for the study of Historical Linguistics at undergraduate
and graduate levels as at 1999. In comparative terms, Bowern (1999) recognizes
that the authors of these three textbooks approach the key topics in
Historical Linguistics from different perspectives. Campbell’s text is however
different from the other two textbooks as, in her own words, the text is
‘‘…very much concerned with the practicalities of identifying language
change’, and choosing ‘to discuss each topic with an aim to providing and
illustrating a set of procedures for doing historical linguistics…’’ (Bowern,
1999).
In many respects, I agree with Bowern’s (1999) comments about the range of
topics covered in Campbell (1999) being “standard fare” (i.e. the
instructional norm) for the main textbooks on Historical linguistics as of
1999. However, I need to point out that this situation is no longer applicable
at present (i.e. 2021) because as I have noted a number of components,
sections and sub-sections in Campbell (2021) have been significantly updated
and remodeled in conformity with new research trends in historical linguistics
at present. These modifications involve the addition of new illustrative
material and student test exercises in some chapters; the excision of some
sections from where they were located in Campbell (2013) and their subsequent
incorporation into new chapters in Campbell (2021); as well as the creation of
two brand new chapters in Campbell (2021). It is perhaps worth noting that
some of the structural and expository modifications noted above may have been
influenced by critical comments made by reviewers of previous editions of
Campbell’s text, most notably those of Bowern (1999) and Öhl (2004).
While I understand the critical intent behind the comments cited above, I am
of the view that these comments tend to overlook (or simply misjudge) the main
publication intent provided by Campbell in his book for writing (or effecting
any revisions) in each edition of his book. Following from this fact, I am
also of the view that any credible critical comments which can be offered on
the overall academic value of Campbell (2021) must give special consideration
to the main publication intent (or objective) provided by the author on the
Preface page of his book. On the subject matter of evaluating the overall
contents of Campbell (2021), my reading of the Preface page as well as close
scrutiny of the Introductory chapter in the text has led me to adopt a
different viewpoint from those expressed in Bowern (1999) and Öhl (2004), both
of which offered a number of critical remarks on some portions of earlier
editions of Campbell’s textbook. In relative contrast to these viewpoints, I
have scrutinized the contents of Campbell (2021) and arrived at a more
positive evaluation of the text, taking into consideration the clearly stated
intent of the author, as captured in the Preface. For example, in considering
Chapter 14 (in Campbell, 2021) on the topic of “Distant Genetic
Relationship”, I think that the author has succeeded in providing robust and
convincing explanations for problems that are often associated with long range
linguistic comparison. The discussion in this particular chapter of Campbell
(2021) has been able to provide a very clear summary of the types of evidence
that can be used in establishing distance linguistic comparisons. Fittingly,
this fact was duly acknowledged in Bowern (1999) as one of the strong points
of the same chapter, as published in Campbell (1999).
I also find it gratifying that Campbell (2021) was able to positively respond
to other criticisms raised about the need to incorporate pertinent discussion
sections (or chapters) on such specific topics as “the use of written records
in historical linguistics’’ and ‘‘the role of Pidgins and Creoles in
historical linguistics’’ (Bowern, 1999) in any new editions of Campbell’s
textbook. It is probably in response to a comment of this kind that Campbell
has undertaken to reorganize the chapter contents in Campbell (2021) to
include a remodeled Chapter 14, Writing and Philology: The role of written
records, as well as a remodeled Chapter 10, Language Contact. These new
additions and remodeled segments sufficiently show that the author of the text
is not only sensitive to but also willing to carry out revisions to the
contents of his book if he deems it necessary to do so.
Even though past reviews of previous editions of Campbell’s textbook, notably
Bowern (1999) and Öhl (2004), have raised some criticisms about the author’s
omission (or sketchy handling) of topics and issues that they consider as
fundamental to a full understanding of the nature and scope of contemporary
Historical linguistics, the same reviewers have not failed to recognize the
extensive chapter coverage of each succeeding edition of Campbell’s textbook
over time (this feature is still evident in Campbell, 2021).
Evaluation of Campbell (2021) as a Resource textbook
The review of the topics in Campbell (2021) offers robust expositions on
several major topics in Historical Linguistics. For example, such expositions
are provided in Chapter 5: Lexical Change (pp. 102-117); Chapter 6: Semantic
Change (pp. 118-138); Chapter 10: Language Contact (pp. 256-276); Chapter 13:
Distant Genetic Relationships (pp. 326-344) and Chapter 16: Quantitative
Approaches to Historical Linguistics and Technical Tools (pp. 422-460).
In my judgment, the high quality of exposition provided in these cited
portions of Campbell (2021) offer sufficient proof as to why previous editions
of Campbell’s textbook (Campbell, 1999; Campbell, 2004; Campbell, 2013) had
served as influential and successful resource books for teaching many of the
essential concepts, topics, and principles associated with Historical
Linguistics. Some of the positive evaluative comments offered by Peter Öhl
while reviewing Campbell (2004)—particularly those that relate to the academic
quality and level of suitability of the contents of Campbell, 2004)—are not
only valid, but also equally apply to Campbell (2021). The exposition in each
of the 16 chapters in Campbell (2021) is illustrated with abundant analytical
data drawn from a wide range of language families from different parts of the
world. It is also gratifying to note that the contents of each chapter in
Campbell (2021) are critically tested by the inclusion, at the end of most
chapters, of many exploratory test exercises that seek to evaluate how well
students understand key ideas and concepts highlighted in individual chapters.
I consider Campbell (2021) to be unique and different from other competing
textbooks which are currently in circulation and also treat many of the basic
topics of Historical linguistics covered by Campbell’s text. Some of the texts
which easily fit into this comparative category include Trask (1996); Lass
(1997); Crowley (1997); Croft (2000); Hock & Joseph (2009); Crowley & Bowern
(2010); Millar & Trask (2015); and Bybee (2015). If any of the aforementioned
“regular” textbooks were placed alongside Campbell (2021) and offered to me on
a comparative scale of preference for instructional purposes, I would quite
easily select Campbell’s text as my preferred resource book for historical
linguistics because I believe that the textbook has been able to successfully
fuse many conventional topics with other developing topics in the field into a
new integrated expository fabric. This new line of exposition is demonstrated
through Campbell’s insightful handling of such topics as syntactic change
and grammaticalization (in Chapter 11) ; sociolinguistic contributions to
linguistic change (in Chapter 9) ; distant genetic relationships and areal
linguistics (in Chapter 13); and linguistic prehistory (in Chapter 15).
The contents of Campbell’s book sufficiently convince me (and hopefully new
readers of the textbook) that it is not only a relevant academic textbook, but
also still manages to retain a familiar style for the presentation of its
chapters. Therein lies what I can identify and emphasize as the major
advantage that Campbell’s textbook has continued to enjoy over time when
compared to similar Historical Linguistics textbooks. I would easily choose
Campbell’s textbook as my first-choice resource material for teaching an
introductory course in historical linguistics. This is because, as an
experienced scholar and teacher of linguistics, I have found it to be clear,
concise, and full of relevant examples and exercises which provides me with
the essential resource base and framework for teaching the most basic concepts
and topics in Historical linguistics in an efficient and convenient manner at
both undergraduate and early graduate levels of education.
REFERENCES
Bowern, C. (1999). Linguistlist Review of Campbell's Historical Linguistics,
1st Edition
(Accessible at http: //
old.linguistlist.org/issues/indices/Reviews1999.html)
Bybee, J. (2015). Language Change, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Campbell, L. (1999). Historical Linguistics: An Introduction, 1st Edition,
Cambridge, MA: MIT Press
Campbell, L. (2004). Historical Linguistics: An Introduction, 2nd Edition,
Cambridge, MA: MIT Press
Campbell, L. (2013). Historical Linguistics: An Introduction, 3rd Edition,
Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press and Cambridge, MA: MIT Press
Campbell, L. (2021). Historical Linguistics: An Introduction, 4th Edition,
Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press and Cambridge, MA: MIT Press
Croft, W. (2000). Explaining Language Change: An Evolutionary Approach,
Harlow: Longman
Crowley, T. (1997). An Introduction to Historical Linguistics, 3rd Edition,
Oxford: Oxford University Press
Crowley, T. and C. Bowern. (2010).An Introduction to Historical Linguistics,
4th Edition, Auckland: Oxford University Press
Hock, H.H. and B. Josephs. (1996). Language History, Language Change, and
Language Relationship: An Introduction to Historical and Comparative
Linguistics. 1st Edition, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter
Hock, H.H. and B. Josephs. (2009). Language History, Language Change, and
Language Relationship: An Introduction to Historical and Comparative
Linguistics. 2nd Edition, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter
Koch, H. (1996). ''Reconstruction in Morphology.'' in M. Durie and M. Ross
(Eds); The Comparative Method Reviewed: regularity and irregularity in
Language Change. OUP, New York.
Lass, R. (1997). Historical Linguistics and Language Change, Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press
Millar, R.M. and L. Trask. (2015). Trask’s Historical Linguistics. London:
Routledge
Öhl, P. (2004). Linguistlist Review of Campbell's Historical Linguistics, 3rd
Edition
(Accessible at
https://old.linguistlist.org/issues/indices/Review2005.html)
Trask, R. L. (1996). Historical Linguistics, 2nd Edition, London: Arnold
ABOUT THE REVIEWER
I am a lecturer and field researcher in the Department of Linguistics and
Nigerian Languages, University of Jos, Nigeria. I have considerable teaching
and fieldwork experience in Sociolinguistics, with a strong bias towards
inquiries into all matters relating to Historical Sociolinguistics and
Comparative-Historical Linguistics. I am exploring other ways of integrating
my past teaching experience with new fieldwork activities within endangered
minority languages, especially in the middle belt region, in Nigeria.
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