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Language change: Progress or decay? (Fontana linguistics) (Paperback)

by Jean Aitchison (Author)
5.0 out of 5 stars  (1 customer review)


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Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Why do people sometimes leave off the ends of words when they speak? Is it sloppiness, progress, or inevitable erosion? This book attempts to answer such questions by giving a lucid and up-to-date overview of language change. It discusses where our evidence about language change comes from, how and why changes happen, and how and why languages begin and end. It considers not only changes which occurred many years ago, but also those currently in progress. It does this within the framework of one central question - is language change a symptom of progress or decay? It concludes that language is neither progressing nor decaying, but that an understanding of the factors causing change is essential for anyone involved with language alteration. For this substantially revised and enlarged second edition Jean Aitchison has included details of recent research on a number of key topics, and also discusses data from a wider variety of languages: but the work remains non-technical in style and accessible to the reader with no previous knowledge of linguistics. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Download Description
This lucid and up-to-date overview of language change. It discusses where our evidence about language change comes from, how and why changes happen, and how languages begin and end. It considers both changes which occurred long ago, and those currently in progress. It does this within the framework of one central question - is language change a symptom of progress or decay? It concludes that language is neither progressing nor decaying, but that an understanding of the factors surrounding change is essential for anyone concerned about language alteration. For this substantially revised third edition, Jean Aitchison has included two new chapters on change of meaning and grammaticalization. Sections on new methods of reconstruction and ongoing chain shifts in Britain and America have also been added as well as over 150 new references. The work remains non-technical in style and accessible to readers with no previous knowledge of linguistics.

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Product Details
  • Paperback: 266 pages
  • Publisher: Fontana Paperbacks (1981)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0006359833
  • ISBN-13: 978-0006359838
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  (1 customer review)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #6,066,686 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
    (Publishers and authors: Improve Your Sales)
  • Also Available in: Kindle Edition (Kindle Book) |  Hardcover (3) |  Paperback (3) |  Unknown Binding  |  All Editions