Linguistic Universals and Language Change [electronic resource].
Good, Jeff.
Good, Jeff.
New York ; Oxford : Oxford University Press,
2008.
This book looks at the relationship between linguistic universals and language change. Reflecting the resurgence of work in both fields over the last two decades, it addresses two related issues of central importance in linguistics: the balance between synchronic and diachronic factors in accounting for universals of linguistic structure, and the means of distinguishing genuine aspects of a universal human cognitive capacity for language from regularities that may be traced toextraneous origins. The volume brings together specially commissioned work by leading scholars, including prominent rep
Description based upon print version of record.
Contents; The Contributors; Abbreviations; 1. Introduction; 1.1 Diachrony, synchrony, explanation, and universals; 1.2 On the sense of universal used here; 1.3 Explaining universals; 1.4 Structural approaches; 1.5 Historical approaches; 1.6 External approaches; 1.7 Conclusion; PART I: UNIVERSALS AND CHANGE: GENERAL PERSPECTIVES; 2. Universals Constrain Change;  Change Results in Typological Generalizations; 2.1 The relation between synchrony and diachrony; 2.2 Morphology and binding properties of reflexives; 2.3 Split ergative case marking; 2.4 Coda neutralization
2.5 Stress/weight solidarity2.6 Conclusion; 3. On the Explanation of Typologically Unusual Structures; 3.1 Introduction; 3.2 The structure of the argument; 3.3 Georgian split case marking; 3.4 Udi endoclitics; 3.5 The Uniformitarian Hypothesis and explanation of typologically unusual structures; 3.6 Conclusions; PART II: PHONOLOGICAL UNIVERSALS: VARIATION, CHANGE, AND STRUCTURE; 4. Consonant Epenthesis: Natural and Unnatural Histories; 4.1 Introduction; 4.2 Natural history; 4.3 Unnatural history; 4.4 Other places where segmental and syllabic markedness fail; 4.5 Summary and implications
5. Formal Universals as Emergent Phenomena: The Origins of Structure Preservation5.1 Introduction; 5.2 Substantive and formal universals; 5.3 A formal universal: Structure Preservation; 5.4 Three unidirectional paths of change in phonology; 5.5 A model of sound change; 5.6 Categorization of phonetic variants; 5.7 Sound change happens to words; 5.8 Further changes; 5.9 The explanation for Structure Preservation; 5.10 Mechanisms: processes that are constantly in operation as language is used; PART III: MORPHOLOGICAL RELATIONSHIPS: THE SHAPE OF PARADIGMS
6. Paradigmatic Uniformity and Markedness6.1 Introduction; 6.2 Middle and Modern English; 6.3 Ancient Greek; 6.4 Directionality and the origin of markedness; 6.5 Conclusion; 7. Explaining Universal Tendencies and Language Particulars in Analogical Change; 7.1 Introduction; 7.2 Two approaches to analogical change; 7.3 A synchronic model of paradigm acquisition; 7.4 Typological tendencies: exploring the parameter space of the model; 7.5 Conclusion; PART IV: MORPHOSYNTACTIC PATTERNS: THE FORM OF GRAMMATICAL MARKERS; 8. Creating Economical Morphosyntactic Patterns in Language Change; 8.1 Overview
8.2 Universal asymmetrical morphosyntactic patterns8.3 Economical coding; 8.4 Eleven complementary expected associations; 8.5 Non-complementary expected patterns; 8.6 The diachronic origins of economical/well-coded patterns; 8.7 Conclusion: the relation between diachrony and language universals; 9. On the Explanatory Value of Grammaticalization; 9.1 Introduction; 9.2 Theoretical preliminaries: language-internal and contact-induced grammaticalization; 9.3 Two puzzles about definiteness marking in Europe; 9.4 Conclusions
PART V: PHRASE STRUCTURE: MODELING THE DEVELOPMENT OF SYNTACTIC CONSTRUCTIONS
This book looks at the relationship between linguistic universals and language change. Reflecting the resurgence of work in both fields over the last two decades, it addresses two related issues of central importance in linguistics: the balance between synchronic and diachronic factors in accounting for universals of linguistic structure, and the means of distinguishing genuine aspects of a universal human cognitive capacity for language from regularities that may be traced toextraneous origins. The volume brings together specially commissioned work by leading scholars, including prominent rep
Description based on print version record.
Linguistic change.
Linguistic universals.
Typology (Linguistics).