基本説明
This book shows that the languages and dialects of Europe are becoming increasingly alike and furthermore that this unifying process goes back to Roman times, is accelerating, and affects every European language including those of different families such as Basque and Finnish. The authors reveal when, how, and why common grammatical structures have evolved and continue to evolve in processes of change that will transform the linguistic landscape of Europe.
Full Description
This book shows that the languages and dialects of Europe are becoming increasingly alike and furthermore that this unifying process goes back to Roman times, is accelerating, and affects every European language including those of different families such as Basque and Finnish. The unifying process involves every grammatical aspect of the languages and operates through changes so minute that native speakers fail to notice them. The authors reveal when, how, and why common grammatical structures have evolved and continue to evolve in processes of change that will transform the linguistic landscape of Europe.
Contents
1. Europe as a Linguistic Area ; 2. Grammatical Replication ; 3. The Rise of Articles ; 4. The Rise of Possessive Perfects ; 5. From Comitative to Instrumental Forms ; 6. From Question to Clause Subordination ; 7. Europe's Periphery ; 8. Conclusions ; References ; Glossary ; Subject Index ; List of Maps
