Separating layers of information
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Rik van Gijn
Abstract
Linguistic areas, or Sprachbünde, can be described very broadly as geographical areas where a group of languages have become similar to each other because of prolonged contact between the speakers of the different languages. Numerous linguistic areas have been proposed over the years and all over the globe, and the study of linguistic areas has become an integral part of the more general study of contact linguistics and contact-induced change. Nevertheless, linguistic areas are notoriously hard to define in a consistent and meaningful way, and some scholars have even suggested abandoning the notion altogether. In this paper, I argue against abandoning the notion of linguistic area as such, but I am in favor of changing the approach or the procedure we follow in detecting or confirming linguistic areas. I would like to introduce a conceptual change, moving away from the idea of a linguistic area as a well-circumscribed geographical area towards an idea of contact zones as windows on the past. The procedure I propose is based on what may be called the anatomy of linguistic areas, consisting of a geographical, cultural-historical, communicative, and (structural-)linguistic layer. An approach to a linguistic area can start in any of these layers, but crucially refers to the others as well. One research set-up that is made possible by this approach is to set up a hypothesis-test procedure whereby one or more layers predict the others.
Abstract
Linguistic areas, or Sprachbünde, can be described very broadly as geographical areas where a group of languages have become similar to each other because of prolonged contact between the speakers of the different languages. Numerous linguistic areas have been proposed over the years and all over the globe, and the study of linguistic areas has become an integral part of the more general study of contact linguistics and contact-induced change. Nevertheless, linguistic areas are notoriously hard to define in a consistent and meaningful way, and some scholars have even suggested abandoning the notion altogether. In this paper, I argue against abandoning the notion of linguistic area as such, but I am in favor of changing the approach or the procedure we follow in detecting or confirming linguistic areas. I would like to introduce a conceptual change, moving away from the idea of a linguistic area as a well-circumscribed geographical area towards an idea of contact zones as windows on the past. The procedure I propose is based on what may be called the anatomy of linguistic areas, consisting of a geographical, cultural-historical, communicative, and (structural-)linguistic layer. An approach to a linguistic area can start in any of these layers, but crucially refers to the others as well. One research set-up that is made possible by this approach is to set up a hypothesis-test procedure whereby one or more layers predict the others.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Foreword vii
- Acknowledgements ix
- Introduction. Pieter C. Muysken 1
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Part 1. Creole languages and creole studies
- Moving into and out of Sranan 37
- Sociolinguistic characteristics of the English-lexifier contact languages of West Africa 61
- The quest for non-European creoles 85
- Are creoles a special type of language? 107
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Part 2. Linguistic areas
- Separating layers of information 161
- Areal diffusion of applicatives in the Amazon 179
- Transfer of Swahili ‘until’ in contact with East African languages 217
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Part 3. Mixed languages and language mixing
- Turkish-German code-switching patterns revisited 237
- Mixing and semantic transparency in the genesis of Yilan Japanese 261
- Pottefers Cant, Groenstraat Bargoens, and the development of “have” and “be” in the wider context of contact 283
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Part 4. Sociolinguististic aspects of language contact
- Sociolinguistic enregisterment through languagecultural practices 341
- Snow on the Danish Antilles? 365
- Subject index 389
- Author index 391
- Language index 397
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Foreword vii
- Acknowledgements ix
- Introduction. Pieter C. Muysken 1
-
Part 1. Creole languages and creole studies
- Moving into and out of Sranan 37
- Sociolinguistic characteristics of the English-lexifier contact languages of West Africa 61
- The quest for non-European creoles 85
- Are creoles a special type of language? 107
-
Part 2. Linguistic areas
- Separating layers of information 161
- Areal diffusion of applicatives in the Amazon 179
- Transfer of Swahili ‘until’ in contact with East African languages 217
-
Part 3. Mixed languages and language mixing
- Turkish-German code-switching patterns revisited 237
- Mixing and semantic transparency in the genesis of Yilan Japanese 261
- Pottefers Cant, Groenstraat Bargoens, and the development of “have” and “be” in the wider context of contact 283
-
Part 4. Sociolinguististic aspects of language contact
- Sociolinguistic enregisterment through languagecultural practices 341
- Snow on the Danish Antilles? 365
- Subject index 389
- Author index 391
- Language index 397
