Language Change: Progress or Decay? (Cambridge Approaches to Linguistics)
Advance Praise:    "Jean Aitchison's Language Change: Progress or Decay? has been essential introductory reading for students of historical linguistics for many years: it manages the rare trick of combining theoretical sophistication and clear, simple (but not simplistic) expression.  This new edition, which takes account of current issues in language-change studies while not discarding classic discussions, remains a fine and very approachable survey.  I shall certainly recommend it to my undergraduates."                                   --Jeremy J. Smith, University of Glasgow''A brilliant essay in linguistics...Even in the most complex spaghetti junctions of her argument, her own directions are always clear, and her own language lively, fresh and stimulating''.       --The Guardian