Empirical Foundations for a Theory of Language Change

age levels alternation analysis argue bidialectal Bloomfield change in progress code-switching coexisting complex concept constraints covariation descriptive linguists diachronic dialect diasystemic differentiation diglossia discussion distinction elements embedded empirical foundations evaluation example fact formulation grammar guage guistic Gumperz Halle's heterogeneous historical linguistics homogeneous idio idiolect change individual investigation isoglosses isolation Jamaican Creole jointly available kinesthesis Labov language change Language Custom lexical linguistic change linguistic structure linguistic system linguistic variables Martinet Mathesius mechanism merger Neogrammarian observed Osthoff over-all Paul Paul's theory phonemic phonemic mergers phonetic rules phonology position possible relations Saussure shift significance social factors sociolinguistic sound change sound laws speakers speech community strict co-occurrence study of language stylistic subsystems synchronic systematic take place theoretical theory of change theory of language tion transition problem URIEL WEINREICH variation vowels Weinreich Yiddish York City