This book presents a comprehensive and critical overview of historical phonology as it stands today. Scholars from around the world consider and advance research in every aspect of the field. In doing so they demonstrate the continuing vitality and some continuing themes of one of the oldest sub-disciplines of linguistics.
The book is divided into six parts. The first considers key current research questions, the early history of the field, and the structuralist context for work on segmental change. The second examines evidence and methods, including phonological reconstruction, typology, and computational and quantitative approaches. Part III looks at types of phonological change, including stress, tone, and morphophonological change. Part IV explores a series of controversial aspects within the field, including the effects of first language acquisition, the status of lexical diffusion and exceptionless change, and the role of individuals in innovation. Part V considers theoretical perspectives on phonological change, including those of evolutionary phonology and generative historical phonology. The final part examines sociolinguistic and exogenous factors in phonological change, including the study of change in real time, the role of second language acquisition, and loanword adaptation. The authors, who represent leading proponents of every theoretical perspective, consider phonological change over a wide range of the world’s language families. The handbook is, in sum, a valuable resource for phonologists and historical linguists and a stimulating guide for their students.
Kitabu hiki inatoa muhtasari wa kina na muhimu wa fonolojia ya kihistoria kama ilivyo leo. Wasomi kutoka ulimwenguni pote hufikiria na kuendeleza utafiti katika kila sehemu ya uwanja huo. Kwa kufanya hivyo wao kuonyesha kuendelea nguvu na baadhi ya kuendelea mandhari ya moja ya kongwe sub-disciplines ya lugha. Kitabu hicho kimegawanywa katika sehemu sita. Ya kwanza inachukua maswali muhimu ya sasa ya utafiti, historia ya mapema ya uwanja, na muktadha wa muundo kwa kazi juu ya mabadiliko ya sehemu. Ya pili inachunguza ushahidi na mbinu, ikiwa ni pamoja na ujenzi wa fonolojia, typology, na mbinu za hesabu na kiasi. Sehemu ya tatu inaangalia aina za mabadiliko ya fonolojia, ikiwa ni pamoja na mkazo, sauti, na mabadiliko ya morphophonological. Sehemu ya nne inachunguza safu ya masuala ya utata ndani ya uwanja, ikiwa ni pamoja na athari za upatikanaji wa lugha ya kwanza, hali ya usambazaji wa msamiati na mabadiliko ya kipekee, na jukumu la watu katika uvumbuzi. Sehemu ya V inachukua mtazamo wa nadharia juu ya mabadiliko ya fonolojia, ikiwa ni pamoja na zile za fonolojia ya mageuzi na fonolojia ya kihistoria ya kizazi. Sehemu ya mwisho inachunguza sababu za kijamii na za nje katika mabadiliko ya fonolojia, ikiwa ni pamoja na utafiti wa mabadiliko katika wakati halisi, jukumu la upatikanaji wa lugha ya pili, na marekebisho ya mkopo. Waandishi, ambao wanawakilisha watetezi wakuu wa kila mtazamo wa nadharia, wanafikiria mabadiliko ya fonolojia juu ya aina mbalimbali za familia za lugha za ulimwengu. Kwa muhtasari, kitabu hicho ni rasilimali yenye thamani kwa wataalamu wa fonolojia na wataalamu wa lugha za kihistoria na mwongozo wenye kuchochea kwa wanafunzi wao.