On Explaining Language Change - Rilegato

Lass

 
9780521228367: On Explaining Language Change

Sinossi

Dr Lass argues that theoretical constructs of language change should be based more on philosophy than the physical sciences.

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Descrizione del libro

Roger Lass is concerned about the nature of argumentation within linguistics and the status of its data and theoretical constructs. He challenges linguists to confront the philosophical implications of their subject and look past the model explanations of linguistic change that are imposed on the physical sciences.

Contenuti

Preface; 1. What does it mean to explain something?; 2. Why 'naturalness' does not explain anything; Appendix to chapter 2. Naturalness, 'uniformitarianism' and reconstruction; 3. The teleology problem: can language change be 'functional'?; Appendix to chapter 3. Four problems related to the question of function; 4. Causality and 'the nature of language'; 5. Conclusion and prospects: the limits of deductivism and some alternatives; References; Index.

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Altre edizioni note dello stesso titolo

9780521117166: On Explaining Language Change

Edizione in evidenza

ISBN 10:  052111716X ISBN 13:  9780521117166
Casa editrice: Cambridge University Press, 2009
Brossura