Linguistic epidemiology : semantics and grammar of language contact in mainland Southeast Asia / / N.J. Enfield

• Record Nr.: UNINA9910816652703321
• Autore: Enfield N. J. <1966, >
• Pubbl/distr/stampa: Abingdon, Oxon : , : RoutledgeCurzon, , 2003
• ISBN: 1-135-14469-9; 0-203-60519-5; 1-299-28872-3; 1-135-14461-3
• Descrizione fisica: 1 online resource (412 p.)
• Collana: RoutledgeCurzon Asian linguistics series
• Disciplina: 306.44/6/0959
• Soggetti: Languages in contact - Southeast Asia; Grammar, Comparative and general; Semantics, Comparative; Pragmatics; Southeast Asia Languages
• 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 (p. [370]-383) and indexes.
• Nota di contenuto: pt. 1. Introduction -- pt. 2. Background--mainland Southeast Asia -- pt. 3. Polyfunctionality of daj[superscript 4] -- pt. 3. Other sample languages -- pt. 4. Conclusion.
• Sommario/riassunto: This important new study examines in detail a semantic-pragmatic pattern surrounding the basic verb 'acquire' in nearly 30 Southeast Asian languages, concentrating on Lao, Vietnamese, Khmer, Kmhmu, Hmong, and varieties of Chinese.The book makes a significant contribution to empirical work on semantic and grammatical change in a linguistic area, as well as representing theoretical advances in cognitive semantics. Gricean pragmatics, semantic change, grammaticalization, language contact, and areal linguistics. The book also examines how changes in the speech of individuals actually become ch