{"product_id":"the-rise-and-fall-of-languages-paperback-9780521626545","title":"The Rise and Fall of Languages (Paperback) 9780521626545","description":"\u003cfont face=\"Georgia\"\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"6\"\u003eThe Rise and Fall of Languages\u003c\/font\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eA different approach to the theories on language evolution and change.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"4\"\u003eR. M. W. Dixon (Author)\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e9780521626545, Cambridge University Press\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003ePaperback, published 11 December 1997\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e176 pages\u003cbr\u003e19.9 x 12.9 x 1.9 cm, 0.22 kg\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e'Ground-breaking work in the true sense of the term.' Robert Orr, Diachronica\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003eThis book puts forward a different approach to language change, the punctuated equilibrium model. This is based on the premise that during most of the 100,000 or more years that humans have had language, states of equilibrium have existed during which linguistic features diffused across the languages in a given area so that they gradually converged on a common prototype. From time to time, the state of equilibrium would be punctuated, with expansion and split of peoples and of languages, most recently, as a result of European colonisation and the globalisation of communication which are likely to result in the extinction, within the next hundred years, of 90% of the languages currently spoken. Professor Dixon suggests that every linguist should assume a responsibility for documenting some of these languages before they disappear.\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003eAcknowledgements\u003cbr\u003e 1. Introduction\u003cbr\u003e 2. Preliminaries\u003cbr\u003e 3. Linguistic Areas and Diffusion\u003cbr\u003e 4. The Family Tree Model\u003cbr\u003e 5. Modes of change\u003cbr\u003e 6. The Punctuated Equilibrium Model\u003cbr\u003e 7. More on proto-languages\u003cbr\u003e 8. Recent history\u003cbr\u003e 9. Today's priorities\u003cbr\u003e 10. Summary and prospects\u003cbr\u003e Appendix - where the comparative method discovery procedure fails\u003cbr\u003e References\u003cbr\u003e Index.\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003eSubject Areas: Historical \u0026amp; comparative linguistics [\u003ca title=\"See our other books on Historical \u0026amp; comparative linguistics\" href=\"https:\/\/freshlyprintedbooks.co.uk\/search?q=%22Historical%20\u0026amp;%20comparative%20linguistics%20%5BCFF%5D%22\"\u003eCFF\u003c\/a\u003e]\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003c\/font\u003e","brand":"Cambridge University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46004411564312,"sku":"9780521626545","price":37.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0730\/2037\/5320\/products\/9780521626545I_6bfab09a-ff8d-454b-adac-40cfda1d976e.jpg?v=1691379192","url":"https:\/\/freshlyprintedbooks.co.uk\/products\/the-rise-and-fall-of-languages-paperback-9780521626545","provider":"Freshly Printed Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}