The Ecology of Language Evolution

Salikoko S. Mufwene

Cambridge University Press, Aug 30, 2001 - Foreign Language Study - 255 pages

This major new work explores the development of creoles and other new languages, focusing on the conceptual and methodological issues they raise for genetic linguistics. Written by an internationally renowned linguist, the book surveys a wide range of examples of changes in the structure, function and vitality of languages, and suggests that similar ecologies have played the same kinds of roles in all cases of language evolution. The Ecology of Language Evolution will be welcomed by students and researchers in sociolinguistics, creolistics, theoretical linguistics and theories of evolution.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Ecology of Language Evolution; Cambridge Approaches to Language Contact; The Ecology of Language Evolution, Salikoko S. Mufwene
• Author: Salikoko S. Mufwene
• Editor: Salikoko S. Mufwene
• Edition: illustrated, reprint
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2001
• ISBN: 0521791383, 9780521791380
• Length: 255 pages
• Subjects: Foreign Language Study / Creole Languages; Language Arts & Disciplines / General; Language Arts & Disciplines / Linguistics / General; Language Arts & Disciplines / Linguistics / Historical & Comparative; Language Arts & Disciplines / Linguistics / Sociolinguistics; Nature / Ecology