The ecology of language evolution
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
The ecology of language evolution
(Cambridge approaches to language contact)
Cambridge University Press, 2001
- : hb
- : pbk
Available at 56 libraries
  Aomori
  Iwate
  Miyagi
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  Toyama
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  Yamanashi
  Nagano
  Gifu
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  Shiga
  Kyoto
  Osaka
  Hyogo
  Nara
  Wakayama
  Tottori
  Shimane
  Okayama
  Hiroshima
  Yamaguchi
  Tokushima
  Kagawa
  Ehime
  Kochi
  Fukuoka
  Saga
  Nagasaki
  Kumamoto
  Oita
  Miyazaki
  Kagoshima
  Okinawa
  Korea
  China
  Thailand
  United Kingdom
  Germany
  Switzerland
  France
  Belgium
  Netherlands
  Sweden
  Norway
  United States of America
Note
Includes bibliographical references (p. 226-245) and indexes
Description and Table of Contents
Description
This major 2001 work explores the development of creoles and other new languages, focusing on the conceptual and methodological issues they raise for genetic linguistics. Written by an internationally renowned linguist, the book discusses the nature and significance of internal and external factors or 'ecologies' that bear on the evolution of a language. The book surveys a wide range of examples of changes in the structure, function and vitality of languages, and suggests that similar ecologies have played the same kinds of roles in all cases of language evolution. Drawing on major theories of language formation, macroecology and population genetics, Mufwene proposes a common approach to the development of creoles and other new languages. The Ecology of Language Evolution will be welcomed by students and researchers in sociolinguistics, creolistics, theoretical linguistics and theories of evolution.
Table of Contents
- 1. Introduction
- 2. The founder principle in the development of creoles
- 3. The development of American Englishes: factoring contact in and the social bias out
- 4. The legitimate and illegitimate offspring of English
- 5. What research on the development of creoles can contribute to genetic linguistics
- 6. Language contact, evolution and death: how ecology rolls the dice
- 7. Past and recent population movements in Africa: their impact on its linguistic landscape
- 8. Conclusions for the big picture.
by "Nielsen BookData"