Principles of Linguistic Change, Internal Factors

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Wiley, Jul 19, 1994 - Language Arts & Disciplines - 664 pages
This book develops the general principles of linguistic change that form the foundations of historical linguistics, dialectology and sociolinguistics. 
  • Demonstrates the social as well as cognitive relevance of linguistic research
  • Shows that rapid linguistic change is in progress in the cities of America and England so that urban dialects are becoming more and more differentiated
  • Discusses factors that govern the internal development of linguistic structures: the mechanisms of change, the constraints on change, and the ways in which change is embedded in the larger linguistic system

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About the author (1994)

William Labov is Professor of Linguistics at the University of Pennsylvania.

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