How new languages emerge
By: David W. Lightfoot.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 2006
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 199
Subjects: Linguistic change.; Language acquisition.; Language and languages -- Variation.
Description: David Lightfoot explains how languages come into being, arguing that children are the driving force. He explores how new systems arise, how they are acquired by children, and how adults and children play different complementary roles in language change.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: 1. Internal languages and the outside world; title: 2. Traditional language change; title: 3. Some properties of language organs; title: 4. Languages emerging in children; title: 5. New E-language cuing new I-languages; title: 6. Use and variation of grammars; title: 7. The eruption of new grammars; title: 8. A new historical linguistics.