LINGUIST List 13.3407

Sun Dec 22 2002

Sum: Text for Undergraduate Historical Linguistics

Editor for this issue: Anthony Rodrigues Aristar <aristarlinguistlist.org>

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  • Z. S. Bond, Undergraduate Historical Ling Text

    Message 1: Undergraduate Historical Ling Text

     Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2002 10:00:06 -0500
    From: Z. S. Bond <zbond1ohiou.edu>
    Subject: Undergraduate Historical Ling Text


    In response to my query about a text for undergraduate historical linguistics (Linguist 13.2525), I have received suggestions and comments from the following:

    Tim Beasley Mayrene Bentley Edward N. Burstynsky Patricia DeMarco Mark Donohue Peter Hendriks Douglas Lightfoot John Lynch Marc Pierce Charles O. Schleicher Mary Shapiro Bruce Spencer Herb Stahlke Jan Tent Michael Tjalve Margaret Winters

    I want to express my gratitude to all. Below are the recommendations as well as some evaluative comments.

    I'd like to suggest Bloomfield's classic, Language. I think it's a wonderful book in general, and it also works just fine as a textbook

    I use Arlotto's 1972 Intro. to Historical Linguistics (Univ. Press of America). It's short, relatively accessible, and not too dated.

    For students with little or no background in linguistics, you may wish to consider Andrew Sihler's book Language History. An alternative may be Anthony Arlotto's book, Introduction to historical linguistics.

    Completely recommend Crowley, Terry. 1992. An introduction to Historical linguistics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    I looked through 8 or 9 historical ling texts before deciding on the Trask _Historical Linguistics_ book. Overall, I liked the Trask book.

    I ended up using Crowley's An Intro to Historical Linguistics. It's nice because it comes with study guide questions for each chapter.

    You might want to look at: Sihler, Andrew. 2000. Language History: An Introduction. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. It probably wouldn't work as the only text for a course, but it makes a nice supplement to a text that doesn't explain all the basics.

    I've used Terry Crowley's 'An introduction to Historical Linguistics' (Oxford University Press, 3rd edition, 2000) with good success. I supplement the Crowley with exercises from Algeo's The Origins and Development of the English language and its workbook and Charles Jones' A History of English Phonology.

    I've had a lot of success with Trask which is thorough, interesting, and has some good exercises at the end of each chapter. Jeffers and Lehiste isn't bad at a bit lower level, but uneven.

    I used Lyle Campbell. It is a good solid book with exercises from a variety of languages. Probably the best book out there.&nbsp; Trask is also an excellent book which I have used. Good exercises. Too much Basque in it for my liking.

    Jeffers Lehiste is a good book, with all the essentials. Many of the standard textbooks (like Lehmann, Hock, Arlotto, Anttila) are heavily weighted in favour of Indo-European. I have use Bynon before and the students hated the book.

    Terry Crowley's &quot;An Introduction to Historical Linguistics (Oxford U. Press, 3rd. ed., 1997) is good in that it was initially written with second-language users of English in mind, and thus things are explained clearly, and not too much background is assumed.

    I have tried a variety of texts including Trask, Lehmann (3rd), Crowley, and Hock and Joseph. I find Trask to combine a sensible critical approach with a thoughtful coverage of the field that can be handled in a semester.I also like Crowley, but his approach is better suited to the audience he had in mind. Lehmann (3rd) is a thoroughly engaging text with a very strong emphasis on Indo-European. It would be difficult for undergrads. Hock and Joseph is the most thorough and varied of the lot. I like Campbell the best, although I haven't used it in a class. But the book might be too much for undergrads to handle.

    I'd thoroughly recommend the following: Terry Crowley, 1992 An Introduction to Historical Linguistics. Auckland: OUP.

    I have been using An Introduction to Historical Linguistics by Terry Crowley.

    1. It was written for students whose native language was not English, and so is easy to understand for native speakers and non-native speakers alike. 2. It is not Indo-European-centric. 3. He does not try to go too far in each section, and nor does he assume too much. 4. The exercises are manageable for beginning students.