Linguistic Epidemiology - Semantics and Grammar of Language Contact in Mainland Southeast Asia

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 changes in large-scale public convention, 'language contact' is reconsidered, and traditional distinctions such as that between 'internal' and 'external' linguistic mechanisms are challenged.
This groundbreaking new book is for specialists in Southeast Asian linguistics as well as scholars of descriptive semantics and pragmatics, grammaticalisation, linguistic change and evolution, areal linguistics and language contact, history and linguistic anthropology.

List of contents

Part I: Preliminaries
Part II: Lao
Part III: Other sample languages
Part IV: Conclusion

About the author

N.J. Enfield

Summary

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.

Product details

• Authors: N J Enfield, N.J. Enfield, Nick Enfield
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd.
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 15.08.2014
• EAN: 9780415868334
• ISBN: 978-0-415-86833-4
• No. of pages: 416
• Series: Routledge Studies in Asian Linguistics
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Linguistics and literary studies > General and comparative linguistics; Social sciences, law, business > Social sciences (general); Asia, LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES / General, LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES / Linguistics / General, FOREIGN LANGUAGE STUDY / General, Regional Studies, Literature: history & criticism, Regional / International studies, Grammar, syntax & morphology, Historical & comparative linguistics, Grammar, syntax and morphology, Literature: history and criticism, Historical and comparative linguistics