Book Cover
E-book
Author Harris, Alice C.

Title Historical syntax in cross-linguistic perspective / Alice C. Harris, Lyle Campbell
Published Cambridge ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 1995

Copies

Description 1 online resource (xvii, 488 pages) : illustrations
Series Cambridge studies in linguistics ; 74
Cambridge studies in linguistics ; 74.
Contents 1. Introduction -- 2. The history of historical syntax: major themes -- 3. Overview of a theory of syntactic change -- 4. Reanalysis -- 5. Extension -- 6. Language contact and syntactic borrowing -- 7. Processes that simplify biclausal structures -- 8. Word order -- 9. Alignment -- 10. On the development of complex constructions -- 11. The nature of syntactic change and the issue of causation -- 12. Reconstruction of syntax
Summary In this major new work Alice Harris and Lyle Campbell set out to establish a general framework for the investigation of linguistic change. Systematic cross-linguistic comparison of syntactic change across a wide variety of languages is used to construct hypotheses about the universals and limits of language change more generally. In particular, the authors seek to move closer towards describing the range of causes of syntactic change to develop an understanding of the mechanisms of syntactic change, and to provide an understanding of why some languages undergo certain changes and not others. The authors draw on languages as diverse as Pipil and French, Georgian and Estonian, and the data presented is one of the book's great strengths. Rigor and precision are combined here with a great breadth of scholarship to produce a unique resource for the study of linguistic change, which will be of use to scholars and students alike
Bibliography Includes bibliographical references (pages 436-477) and indexes
Notes English
Print version record
Subject Grammar, Comparative and general -- Syntax.
Historical linguistics.
Linguistics.
Linguistics
historical linguistics.
linguistics.
Linguistics
Grammar, Comparative and general -- Syntax
Historical linguistics
Historische Syntax
Kontrastive Linguistik
Taalverandering.
Syntaxis.
Linguistica historica.
Syntaxe.
Linguistique historique.
Form Electronic book
Author Campbell, Lyle.
LC no. 94015013
ISBN 9780511620553
0511620551