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Short description This third volume of the Principles of Linguistic Change set examines the cognitive and cultural causes responsible for linguistic change, and traces the history of these developments, from triggering events to driving forces and endpoints. Labov looks deeply into questions of linguistic change, focusing on the cognitive factors, and exploring social influences in the development of large-scale cultural patterns. Written by the pioneering researcher of sociolinguistic inquiry, this is an essential resource for researchers, scholars, and students in the field.
From the contents List of Figures List of Tables Foreword Preface Abbreviations 1. Introduction to Cognitive and Cultural Factors in Linguistic Change Part I: Cross-Dialectal Comprehension: 2. Natural Misunderstandings 3. A Controlled Experiment on Vowel Identification 4. The Gating Experiments Part II: The Life History of Linguistic Change: 5. Triggering Events 6. Governing Principles 7. Forks in the Road 8. Divergence 9. Driving Forces 10. Yankee Cultural Imperialism and the Northern Cities Shift 11. Social Evaluation of the Northern Cities Shift 12. Endpoints Part III: The Unit of Linguistic Change: 13. Words Floating on the Surface of Sound Change 14. The Binding Force in Segmental Phonology Part IV: Transmission and Diffusion: 15. The Diffusion of Language from Place to Place 16. The Diffusion of Language from Group to Group 17. Conclusion Notes References Index
