Principles of Historical Linguistics

By Hans Henrich Hock

Book Overview

Historical linguistic theory and practice consist of a large number of chronological "layers" that have been accepted in the course of time and have acquired a permanence of their own. These range from neogrammarian conceptualizations of sound change, analogy, and borrowing, to prosodic, lexical, morphological, and syntactic change, and to present-day views on rule change and the effects of language contact. To get a full grasp of the principles of historical linguistics it is therefore necessary to understand the nature of each of these "layers". This book is a major revision and reorganization of the earlier editions and adds entirely new chapters on morphological change and lexical change, as well as a detailed discussion of linguistic palaeontology and ideological responses to the findings of historical linguistics to this landmark publication.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 3110750260
• ISBN13: 9783110750263
• Release Date: August 2023
• Publisher: de Gruyter Mouton
• Length: 1101 Pages
• Weight: 3.33 lbs.
• Dimensions: 2.2" x 6.1" x 9.2"
• Grade Range: Postsecondary

Customer Reviews

Excellent

This book is a technical treatment of the field of of historical linguistics, the study of language change over time. It is probably the best technical book on the subject, better than Trask's book which is somewhat less technical and has more "fluff". This book is a useful resource for anyone wishing to study how languages change and modify over time.