Distinguished sociolinguist Peter Trudgill here presents a controversial new theory about dialect contact and the formation of new colonial dialects. He examines the genesis of Latin American Spanish, Canadian French, and North American English and in particular concentrates on Australian, New Zealand, and South African English. These varieties developed during the nineteenth century along with the immigration of settlers from Britain and Ireland.
In recent years and decades, interest in language history has increased in general and also within the field of Nordic studies. Therefore, it seems appropriate to investigate the current state of Nordic language history and, where applicable, to attempt to rewrite it. For this reason, the series editors of HSK expressed a desire to the publisher and the undersigned to publish a new handbook on the history of Nordic languages – an idea which was well-received and the results of which are presented to the public here in this work.
Postcolonial English: Varieties around the worldThe global spread of English has resulted in the emergence of a diverse range of postcolonial varieties around the world. Postcolonial English provides a clear and original account of the evolution of these varieties, exploring the historical, social and ecological factors that have shaped all levels of their structure.
Chicano English in ContextChicano English in Context is the first modern, comprehensive study of Chicano English, a variety spoken by millions of Latinos in the U.S. It is also one of the first studies of ongoing sound change within an ethnic minority community. It briefly describes the phonology, syntax and semantics of this variety, and explores its crucial role in the construction of ethnic identity among young Latinos and Latinas. It also corrects misconceptions I how the general public views Chicano English.
Verb Movement and Expletive Subjects in the Germanic LanguagesThis book is the study of two different kinds of variation across the Germanic languages. One involves the position of the finite verb, and the other the possible positions of the "logical" subject in constructions with expletive (or "dummy") subjects. The book applies the theory of Principles-and-Parameters to the study of comparative syntax. Several languages are considered, including less frequently discussed ones like Danish, Faroese, Icelandic, and Yiddish.
