22.4876, Books: Historical Linguistics: Hammarstr öm

Tue Dec 6 18:08:45 UTC 2011

LINGUIST List: Vol-22-4876. Tue Dec 06 2011. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 22.4876, Books: Historical Linguistics: Hammarström

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1)
Date: 05-Dec-2011
From: Ulrich Lueders [lincom.europa at t-online.de]
Subject: Fundamentals of Diachronic Linguistics: Hammarström

-------------------------Message 1 ---------------------------------- 
Date: Tue, 06 Dec 2011 13:08:23
From: Ulrich Lueders [lincom.europa at t-online.de]
Subject: Fundamentals of Diachronic Linguistics: Hammarström

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Title: Fundamentals of Diachronic Linguistics 
Series Title: Linguistics Edition 84  

Publication Year: 2011 
Publisher: Lincom GmbH
	   http://www.lincom.eu

Author: Göran Hammarström

Paperback: ISBN:  9783862882359 Pages: 73 Price: Europe EURO 46.80

Abstract:

The author advocates a basically new approach to language change.

A change begins when a speaker says something new choosing between 
several possibilities following nothing more complicated than the principle 
variatio delectat. If other speakers like the new sound or expression, it may 
become a language innovation. Since it is first used by a group of speakers, 
it has distinct sociolectal value. 

In order to communicate messages the old and the new sound or expression 
function equally well. Traditionally linguists have generally tried to find some 
weak point which is the cause of the language change. They have tried to 
find causal explanations where there are none. 

Language is a branch of human culture. Its changes can no more be 
explained than changes in literature, music, visual arts or the length of 
women's skirts. The innovator may choose the new sound or expression 
because of similarity with some existing feature of the language. The author 
calls this assumed process a prompt, which is similar to a cause but is not 
one.

The notions of information value and redundancy, borrowed from information 
theory, can elucidate some aspects of language change. 

Linguistic Field(s): Historical Linguistics

Written In: English  (eng)

See this book announcement on our website: 
http://linguistlist.org/pubs/books/get-book.cfm?BookID=58499

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