The new edition of this popular introductory text on historical linguistics covers all areas of language change, with a focus on Australia and the Pacific. Topics include sound change, the comparative method, cultural reconstruction and morphological and syntactic change.

This accessible, hands-on text not only introduces students to the important topicsin historical linguistics but also shows them how to apply the methods described and how to thinkabout the issues; abundant examples and exercises allow students to focus on how to do historicallinguistics. Distinctive to this text is its integration

Books about Introduction to Historical Linguistics

Originally published by Houghton Mifflin in 1972, this introductory text deals with human language and its relationship to other areas of human culture and behavior. Discussions include such diverse topics as the classification of languages, sound and grammar changes, reconstruction, and social and psychological factors involved in the history and

Originally published as the Continuum Companion to Historical Linguistics, this book brings together a number of leading scholars who provide a combination of different approaches to current and new issues in historical linguistics, while supplying an exhaustive and up-to-date coverage of sub-fields traditionally regarded as central to historical linguistics research.