Historical Linguistics
A cognitive grammar introduction
| Wayne State University
This textbook serves a dual purpose. It is, first, a comprehensive introduction to historical linguistics, intended for both undergraduate and graduate students who have taken, at the least, an introductory course in linguistics. Secondly, unlike many such textbooks, this one is based in the theoretical framework of Cognitive Linguistics, a semantics-based theory which emphasizes the relationship between cognition and language. Descriptions and explanations touch on cognitive, social, and physiological aspects of language as it changes across time. Examples come principally from Germanic (English, German, Yiddish) and Romance (French and Spanish), but with some exploration of aspects of the history of other languages as well. Each chapter concludes with exercises based on material in the chapter and also with suggestions for extensions of the content to wider issues in diachronic linguistics.
[Not in series, 227] 2020. xvii, 241 pp.
Publishing status: Available
© John Benjamins
Table of Contents
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List of figures | pp. xiii–xiv
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Preface | pp. xv–xvi
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Acknowledgments | pp. xvii–xviii
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Chapter 1. What is language change? | pp. 1–22
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Chapter 2. Studying change | pp. 23–46
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Chapter 3. Lexical change | pp. 47–72
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Chapter 4. Phonetic change | pp. 73–96
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Chapter 5. Phonological change | pp. 97–118
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Chapter 6. Morphological change | pp. 119–142
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Chapter 7. Syntactic change | pp. 143–168
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Chapter 8. Actuation and spread | pp. 169–184
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Chapter 9. Methodology | pp. 185–212
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Chapter 10. Causation, prediction, and final remarks | pp. 213–230
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References | pp. 231–236
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Index | pp. 237–242
“Winters covers what needs to be covered in a historical linguistics textbook, but also positions the different types of change in a cognitive framework in a way that is understandable for non-specialists. The book flows well and the text is accessible for beginners.”
Isabeau De Smet, KU Leuven & Research Foundation Flanders (FWO), in Journal of Historical Linguistics 12:2 (2022)
Cited by
Cited by 1 other publications
Hartmann, Stefan
2021. Diachronic Cognitive Linguistics.
Yearbook of the German Cognitive Linguistics Association 9:1 ► pp. 1 ff. 
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Subjects & Metadata
BIC Subject: CFF – Historical & comparative linguistics
BISAC Subject: LAN009010 – LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES / Linguistics / Historical & Comparative