Language Description, History and Development

This volume in memory of Terry Crowley covers a wide range of languages: Australian, Oceanic, Pidgins and Creoles, and varieties of English. Part I, Linguistic Description and Typology, includes chapters on topics such as complex predicates and verb serialization, noun incorporation, possessive classifiers, diphthongs, accent patterns, modals in Australian English and directional terms in atoll-based languages. Part II, Historical Linguistics and Linguistic History, ranges from the reconstruction of Australian languages, to reflexes of Proto-Oceanic, to the lexicon of early Melanesian Pidgin. Part III, Language Development and Linguistic Applications, comprises studies of lexicography, language in education, and language endangerment and language revival, spanning the Pacific from South Australia and New Zealand to Melanesia and on to Colombia. The volume will whet the appetite of anyone interested in the latest linguistic research in this richly multilingual part of the globe.

Geoff Smith, University of Hong Kong, in Journal of Pidgin and Creole Languages 23(2), 2008:
Throughout Language Description, History and Development, there are copious references to Crowley's work, and the list of references to his published work, a total of close to a 200 papers in all. Many of the contributors mention personal anecdotes or shared experiences involving Crowley, all attesting to the respect and affection with which he was regarded. A common theme in the personal recollections is the reaction of shock to his untimely passing, and conjecture about what further accomplishments he might otherwise have achieved. The volume is a worthy commemoration of his life and work, and a reminder of his enormous contribution to linguistics.