Areal diffusion and genetic inheritance [[electronic resource] ] : problems in comparative linguistics / / edited by Alexandra Y. Aikhenvald and R.M.W. Dixon

• Record Nr.: UNINA9910458243603321
• Pubbl/distr/stampa: Oxford ; ; New York, : Oxford University Press, 2001
• ISBN: 1-280-86997-6; 0-19-152301-1; 0-19-151575-2
• Descrizione fisica: 1 online resource (470 p.)
• Altri autori (Persone): AĭkhenvalʹdA. I͡U (Aleksandra I͡Urʹevna); DixonRobert M. W
• Disciplina: 410
• Soggetti: Comparative linguistics; Areal linguistics; Language spread; Languages in contact; Linguistic change; Electronic books.
• Lingua di pubblicazione: Inglese
• Formato: Materiale a stampa
• Livello bibliografico: Monografia
• Note generali: Description based upon print version of record.
• Nota di bibliografia: Includes bibliographical references and indexes.
• Nota di contenuto: Contents; Preface; List of contributors; List of abbreviations; 1 INTRODUCTION; 2 ARCHAEOLOGY AND THE HISTORICAL DETERMINANTS OF PUNCTUATION IN LANGUAGE-FAMILY ORIGINS; 3 AN INDO-EUROPEAN LINGUISTIC AREA AND ITS CHARACTERISTICS: ANCIENT ANATOLIA. AREAL DIFFUSION AS A CHALLENGE TO THE COMPARATIVE METHOD?; 4 THE AUSTRALIAN LINGUISTIC AREA; 5 DESCENT AND DIFFUSION: THE COMPLEXITY OF THE PILBARA SITUATION; 6 CONTACT-INDUCED CHANGE IN OCEANIC LANGUAGES IN NORTH-WEST MELANESIA; 7 AREAL DIFFUSION, GENETIC INHERITANCE, AND PROBLEMS OF SUBGROUPING: A NORTH ARAWAK CASE STUDY; 8 LINGUISTIC DIFFUSION IN PRESENT-DAY EAST ANATOLIA: FROM TOP TO BOTTOM9 THE ROLE OF MIGRATION AND LANGUAGE CONTACT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SINO-TIBETAN LANGUAGE FAMILY; 10 ON GENETIC AND AREAL LINGUISTICS IN MAINLAND SOUTH-EAST ASIA: ; PARALLEL POLYFUNCTIONALITY OF 'ACQUIRE'; 11 GENETIC VERSUS CONTACT RELATIONSHIP: PROSODIC DIFFUSIBILITY IN SOUTH-EAST ASIAN LANGUAGES; 12 LANGUAGE CONTACT AND AREAL DIFFUSION IN SINITIC LANGUAGES; 13 AREAL DIFFUSION VERSUS GENETIC INHERITANCE: AN AFRICAN PERSPECTIVE; 14 CONVERGENCE AND DIVERGENCE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF AFRICAN LANGUAGES; 15 WHAT LANGUAGE FEATURES CAN BE 'BORROWED'?Index of authors; Index of languages and language families; Subject index
• Sommario/riassunto: This book considers how and why forms and meanings of different languages at different times may resemble each other. Its distinguished authors investigate the relationship between areal diffusion and the genetic development of languages, and reveal the means of distinguishing what may cause one language to share the characteristics of another. The chapters cover Ancient Anatolia, Modern Anatolia, Australia, Amazonia, Oceania, Southeast and East Asia, and Sub-Saharan. Africa. - ;Two languages can resemble each other in the categories, constructions, and types of meaning they use; and in the fo