Language Typology and Historical Contingency

Language Typology and Historical Contingency

Author: Balthasar Bickel

Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing Company

Published: 2013-12-15

Total Pages: 522

ISBN-13: 9027270805

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What is the range of diversity in linguistic types, what are the geographical distributions for the attested types, and what explanations, based on shared history or universals, can account for these distributions? This collection of articles by prominent scholars in typology seeks to address these issues from a wide range of theoretical perspectives, utilizing cutting-edge typological methodology. The phenomena considered range from the phonological to the morphosyntactic, the areal coverage ranges in scale from micro-areal to worldwide, and the types of historical contingency range from contact-based to genealogical in nature. Together, the papers argue strongly for a view in which, although they use distinct methodologies, linguistic typology and historical linguistics are one and the same enterprise directed at discovering how languages came to be the way they are and how linguistic types came to be distributed geographically as they are.


Book Synopsis Language Typology and Historical Contingency by : Balthasar Bickel

Download or read book Language Typology and Historical Contingency written by Balthasar Bickel and published by John Benjamins Publishing Company. This book was released on 2013-12-15 with total page 522 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What is the range of diversity in linguistic types, what are the geographical distributions for the attested types, and what explanations, based on shared history or universals, can account for these distributions? This collection of articles by prominent scholars in typology seeks to address these issues from a wide range of theoretical perspectives, utilizing cutting-edge typological methodology. The phenomena considered range from the phonological to the morphosyntactic, the areal coverage ranges in scale from micro-areal to worldwide, and the types of historical contingency range from contact-based to genealogical in nature. Together, the papers argue strongly for a view in which, although they use distinct methodologies, linguistic typology and historical linguistics are one and the same enterprise directed at discovering how languages came to be the way they are and how linguistic types came to be distributed geographically as they are.

Language Typology and Historical Contingency

Language Typology and Historical Contingency

Author: Balthasar Bickel

Publisher:

Published: 2013

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9789027206855

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What is the range of diversity in linguistic types, what are the geographical distributions for the attested types, and what explanations, based on shared history or universals, can account for these distributions? This books addresses these issues from a wide range of theoretical perspectives, utilizing cutting-edge typological methodology.


Book Synopsis Language Typology and Historical Contingency by : Balthasar Bickel

Download or read book Language Typology and Historical Contingency written by Balthasar Bickel and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What is the range of diversity in linguistic types, what are the geographical distributions for the attested types, and what explanations, based on shared history or universals, can account for these distributions? This books addresses these issues from a wide range of theoretical perspectives, utilizing cutting-edge typological methodology.

Language Typology

Language Typology

Author: Joseph Greenberg

Publisher: Walter de Gruyter

Published: 2010-12-14

Total Pages: 85

ISBN-13: 311088643X

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“Greenberg’s survey of the earlier history of typology is without rivals, a must read for every linguist who is curious about the intellectual roots of current typology. This wouldn’t be a work by Greenberg if it didn’t go far beyond simple historiography, providing a highly original and readable framework for understanding the earlier efforts.” Prof. Dr. Martin Haspelmath, Max-Planck-Institut für Evolutionäre Anthropologie


Book Synopsis Language Typology by : Joseph Greenberg

Download or read book Language Typology written by Joseph Greenberg and published by Walter de Gruyter. This book was released on 2010-12-14 with total page 85 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Greenberg’s survey of the earlier history of typology is without rivals, a must read for every linguist who is curious about the intellectual roots of current typology. This wouldn’t be a work by Greenberg if it didn’t go far beyond simple historiography, providing a highly original and readable framework for understanding the earlier efforts.” Prof. Dr. Martin Haspelmath, Max-Planck-Institut für Evolutionäre Anthropologie

Language Typology 1987

Language Typology 1987

Author: Winfred P. Lehmann

Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing

Published: 1990-01-01

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 9027278318

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These papers from the 1987 Typology Symposium — a follow-up to the 1985 meeting in Moscow — deal with the relevance of typology for historical linguistics. Its application in understanding phonological and grammatical change is examined for a variety of languages. Its relevance for application of the comparative method and the method of internal reconstruction is noted with reference to the glottalic theory and problems in other language families. Among the several approaches, alignment typology is especially examined, with languages defined as accusative, ergative or stative-active an approach to which linguists of the USSR have made important contributions in recent years.Among specific problems examined are tonogenesis in Na-Dene, the origin of the genitive in ergative languages, and relative pronouns of Indo-European languages in the context of the Eurasiatic hypothesis. Along with changes in other languages (like those of East and Southeast Asia), these problems are discussed in an effort to determine general and specific tendencies in language change, and to contribute towards the development of diachronic typology.


Book Synopsis Language Typology 1987 by : Winfred P. Lehmann

Download or read book Language Typology 1987 written by Winfred P. Lehmann and published by John Benjamins Publishing. This book was released on 1990-01-01 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: These papers from the 1987 Typology Symposium — a follow-up to the 1985 meeting in Moscow — deal with the relevance of typology for historical linguistics. Its application in understanding phonological and grammatical change is examined for a variety of languages. Its relevance for application of the comparative method and the method of internal reconstruction is noted with reference to the glottalic theory and problems in other language families. Among the several approaches, alignment typology is especially examined, with languages defined as accusative, ergative or stative-active an approach to which linguists of the USSR have made important contributions in recent years.Among specific problems examined are tonogenesis in Na-Dene, the origin of the genitive in ergative languages, and relative pronouns of Indo-European languages in the context of the Eurasiatic hypothesis. Along with changes in other languages (like those of East and Southeast Asia), these problems are discussed in an effort to determine general and specific tendencies in language change, and to contribute towards the development of diachronic typology.

A typology of questions in Northeast Asia and beyond

A typology of questions in Northeast Asia and beyond

Author: Andreas Hölzl

Publisher: Language Science Press

Published: 2018-08-29

Total Pages: 543

ISBN-13: 3961101027

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This study investigates the distribution of linguistic and specifically structural diversity in Northeast Asia (NEA), defined as the region north of the Yellow River and east of the Yenisei. In particular, it analyzes what is called the grammar of questions (GQ), i.e., those aspects of any given language that are specialized for asking questions or regularly combine with these. The bulk of the study is a bottom-up description and comparison of GQs in the languages of NEA. The addition of the phrase and beyond to the title of this study serves two purposes. First, languages such as Turkish and Chuvash are included, despite the fact that they are spoken outside of NEA, since they have ties to (or even originated in) the region. Second, despite its focus on one area, the typology is intended to be applicable to other languages as well. Therefore, it makes extensive use of data from languages outside of NEA. The restriction to one category is necessary for reasons of space and clarity, and the process of zooming in on one region allows a higher resolution and historical accuracy than is usually the case in linguistic typology. The discussion mentions over 450 languages and dialects from NEA and beyond and gives about 900 glossed examples. The aim is to achieve both a cross-linguistically plausible typology and a maximal resolution of the linguistic diversity of Northeast Asia.


Book Synopsis A typology of questions in Northeast Asia and beyond by : Andreas Hölzl

Download or read book A typology of questions in Northeast Asia and beyond written by Andreas Hölzl and published by Language Science Press. This book was released on 2018-08-29 with total page 543 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This study investigates the distribution of linguistic and specifically structural diversity in Northeast Asia (NEA), defined as the region north of the Yellow River and east of the Yenisei. In particular, it analyzes what is called the grammar of questions (GQ), i.e., those aspects of any given language that are specialized for asking questions or regularly combine with these. The bulk of the study is a bottom-up description and comparison of GQs in the languages of NEA. The addition of the phrase and beyond to the title of this study serves two purposes. First, languages such as Turkish and Chuvash are included, despite the fact that they are spoken outside of NEA, since they have ties to (or even originated in) the region. Second, despite its focus on one area, the typology is intended to be applicable to other languages as well. Therefore, it makes extensive use of data from languages outside of NEA. The restriction to one category is necessary for reasons of space and clarity, and the process of zooming in on one region allows a higher resolution and historical accuracy than is usually the case in linguistic typology. The discussion mentions over 450 languages and dialects from NEA and beyond and gives about 900 glossed examples. The aim is to achieve both a cross-linguistically plausible typology and a maximal resolution of the linguistic diversity of Northeast Asia.

Adaptive Languages

Adaptive Languages

Author: Christian Bentz

Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG

Published: 2018-06-11

Total Pages: 233

ISBN-13: 3110557770

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Languages carry information. To fulfil this purpose, they employ a multitude of coding strategies. This book explores a core property of linguistic coding – called lexical diversity. Parallel text corpora of overall more than 1800 texts written in more than 1200 languages are the basis for computational analyses. Different measures of lexical diversity are discussed and tested, and Shannon’s measure of uncertainty – the entropy – is chosen to assess differences in the distributions of words. To further explain this variation, a range of descriptive, explanatory, and grouping factors are considered in a series of statistical models. The first category includes writing systems, word-formation patterns, registers and styles. The second category includes population size, non-native speaker proportions and language status. Grouping factors further elicit whether the results extrapolate across – or are limited to – specific language families and areas. This account marries information-theoretic methods with a complex systems framework, illustrating how languages adapt to the varying needs of their users. It sheds light on the puzzling diversity of human languages in a quantitative, data driven and reproducible manner.


Book Synopsis Adaptive Languages by : Christian Bentz

Download or read book Adaptive Languages written by Christian Bentz and published by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. This book was released on 2018-06-11 with total page 233 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Languages carry information. To fulfil this purpose, they employ a multitude of coding strategies. This book explores a core property of linguistic coding – called lexical diversity. Parallel text corpora of overall more than 1800 texts written in more than 1200 languages are the basis for computational analyses. Different measures of lexical diversity are discussed and tested, and Shannon’s measure of uncertainty – the entropy – is chosen to assess differences in the distributions of words. To further explain this variation, a range of descriptive, explanatory, and grouping factors are considered in a series of statistical models. The first category includes writing systems, word-formation patterns, registers and styles. The second category includes population size, non-native speaker proportions and language status. Grouping factors further elicit whether the results extrapolate across – or are limited to – specific language families and areas. This account marries information-theoretic methods with a complex systems framework, illustrating how languages adapt to the varying needs of their users. It sheds light on the puzzling diversity of human languages in a quantitative, data driven and reproducible manner.

The Languages and Linguistics of Northern Asia

The Languages and Linguistics of Northern Asia

Author: Edward Vajda

Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG

Published: 2024-03-04

Total Pages: 528

ISBN-13: 3111378381

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The Languages and Linguistics of Northern Asia: A Comprehensive Guide surveys the indigenous languages of Asia’s North Pacific Rim, Siberia, and adjacent portions of Inner Eurasia. It provides in-depth descriptions of every first-order family of this vast area, with special emphasis on family-internal subdivision and dialectal differentiation. Individual chapters trace the origins and expansion of the region’s widespread pastoral-based language groups as well as the microfamilies and isolates spoken by northern Asia’s surviving hunter-gatherers. Separate chapters cover sparsely recorded languages of early Inner Eurasia that defy precise classification and the various pidgins and creoles spread over the region. Other chapters investigate the typology of salient linguistic features of the area, including vowel harmony, noun inflection, verb indexing (also known as agreement), complex morphologies, and the syntax of complex predicates. Issues relating to genealogical ancestry, areal contact and language endangerment receive equal attention. With historical connections both to Eurasia’s pastoral-based empires as well as to ancient population movements into the Americas, the steppes, taiga forests, tundra and coastal fringes of northern Asia offer a complex and fascinating object of linguistic investigation.


Book Synopsis The Languages and Linguistics of Northern Asia by : Edward Vajda

Download or read book The Languages and Linguistics of Northern Asia written by Edward Vajda and published by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. This book was released on 2024-03-04 with total page 528 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Languages and Linguistics of Northern Asia: A Comprehensive Guide surveys the indigenous languages of Asia’s North Pacific Rim, Siberia, and adjacent portions of Inner Eurasia. It provides in-depth descriptions of every first-order family of this vast area, with special emphasis on family-internal subdivision and dialectal differentiation. Individual chapters trace the origins and expansion of the region’s widespread pastoral-based language groups as well as the microfamilies and isolates spoken by northern Asia’s surviving hunter-gatherers. Separate chapters cover sparsely recorded languages of early Inner Eurasia that defy precise classification and the various pidgins and creoles spread over the region. Other chapters investigate the typology of salient linguistic features of the area, including vowel harmony, noun inflection, verb indexing (also known as agreement), complex morphologies, and the syntax of complex predicates. Issues relating to genealogical ancestry, areal contact and language endangerment receive equal attention. With historical connections both to Eurasia’s pastoral-based empires as well as to ancient population movements into the Americas, the steppes, taiga forests, tundra and coastal fringes of northern Asia offer a complex and fascinating object of linguistic investigation.

Scales and Hierarchies

Scales and Hierarchies

Author: Ina Bornkessel-Schlesewsky

Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG

Published: 2014-12-12

Total Pages: 362

ISBN-13: 3110344130

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The volume advances our understanding of the role of scales and hierarchies across the linguistic sciences. Although scales and hierarchies are widely assumed to play a role in the modelling of linguistic phenomena, their status remains controversial, and it is these controversies that the present volume tackles head-on.


Book Synopsis Scales and Hierarchies by : Ina Bornkessel-Schlesewsky

Download or read book Scales and Hierarchies written by Ina Bornkessel-Schlesewsky and published by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. This book was released on 2014-12-12 with total page 362 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The volume advances our understanding of the role of scales and hierarchies across the linguistic sciences. Although scales and hierarchies are widely assumed to play a role in the modelling of linguistic phenomena, their status remains controversial, and it is these controversies that the present volume tackles head-on.

Language Dispersal, Diversification, and Contact

Language Dispersal, Diversification, and Contact

Author: Mily Crevels

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 2020

Total Pages: 377

ISBN-13: 0198723814

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This book addresses the complex question of how and why languages have spread across the globe. International experts in the field explore this issue using new analytical research techniques and drawing on large databases, with a focus on the language and population histories of Island Southeast Asia/Oceania, Africa, and South America.


Book Synopsis Language Dispersal, Diversification, and Contact by : Mily Crevels

Download or read book Language Dispersal, Diversification, and Contact written by Mily Crevels and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2020 with total page 377 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book addresses the complex question of how and why languages have spread across the globe. International experts in the field explore this issue using new analytical research techniques and drawing on large databases, with a focus on the language and population histories of Island Southeast Asia/Oceania, Africa, and South America.

A History of the Study of the Indigenous Languages of North America

A History of the Study of the Indigenous Languages of North America

Author: Marcin Kilarski

Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing Company

Published: 2021-12-06

Total Pages: 459

ISBN-13: 902725897X

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The languages indigenous to North America are characterized by a remarkable genetic and typological diversity. Based on the premise that linguistic examples play a key role in the origin and transmission of ideas within linguistics and across disciplines, this book examines the history of approaches to these languages through the lens of some of their most prominent properties. These properties include consonant inventories and the near absence of labials in Iroquoian languages, gender in Algonquian languages, verbs for washing in the Iroquoian language Cherokee and terms for snow and related phenomena in Eskimo-Aleut languages. By tracing the interpretations of the four examples by European and American scholars, the author illustrates their role in both lay and professional contexts as a window onto unfamiliar languages and cultures, thus allowing a more holistic view of the history of language study in North America.


Book Synopsis A History of the Study of the Indigenous Languages of North America by : Marcin Kilarski

Download or read book A History of the Study of the Indigenous Languages of North America written by Marcin Kilarski and published by John Benjamins Publishing Company. This book was released on 2021-12-06 with total page 459 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The languages indigenous to North America are characterized by a remarkable genetic and typological diversity. Based on the premise that linguistic examples play a key role in the origin and transmission of ideas within linguistics and across disciplines, this book examines the history of approaches to these languages through the lens of some of their most prominent properties. These properties include consonant inventories and the near absence of labials in Iroquoian languages, gender in Algonquian languages, verbs for washing in the Iroquoian language Cherokee and terms for snow and related phenomena in Eskimo-Aleut languages. By tracing the interpretations of the four examples by European and American scholars, the author illustrates their role in both lay and professional contexts as a window onto unfamiliar languages and cultures, thus allowing a more holistic view of the history of language study in North America.