English Historical Linguistics: Approaches and Perspectives

Laurel J. Brinton

Jul 2017 · Cambridge University Press

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Written by an international team of leading scholars, this engaging textbook on the study of English historical linguistics is uniquely organized in terms of theoretical approaches and perspectives. Each chapter features textboxes, case studies, suggestions for further reading and exercises, enabling students to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each approach and guiding them on undertaking further research. The case studies and exercises guide students in approaching and manipulating empirical data, providing them with hands-on experience of conducting linguistic research. An extensive variety of approaches, from traditional to contemporary, is treated, including generative approaches, historical sociolinguistic and pragmatic approaches, psycholinguistic perspectives, grammaticalization theory, and discourse-based approaches, as well as perspectives on standardization and language variation. Each chapter applies the concepts discussed to data from the history of English, and a glossary of key terms enables easy navigation and quick cross-referencing. An essential resource for advanced undergraduate and graduate students of the history of English linguistics.

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Laurel J. Brinton is Professor of English Language at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver. She is the co-author and co-editor or many volumes, including textbooks on the history of English and the structure of modern English. She was co-editor of the Journal of Historical Pragmatics and is currenly co-editor of English Language and Linguistics.