Full Description
This book provides an accessible yet comprehensive introduction to the study of the dialects of English as they are spoken around the world, from the earliest dialect dictionaries of the sixteenth century to contemporary research emerging from the field of geolinguistics. Organised into ten thematic chapters, it explores and evaluates the methods and purposes of each approach to the study of dialectal variation, with full explanations of technical terms throughout.
Illuminating one of the most productive fields of interest in language study, this compelling book is essential reading for students of dialect and regional difference in English.
Contents
Introduction
Lexicography: From early works to The English Dialect Dictionary
Lexicography: After The English Dialect Dictionary
Cartography: European beginnings
Cartography: Purpose, legacy, and the early linguistic atlases
Cartography: The spread of language mapping
Sociolinguistics
After sociolinguistics
Perceptual dialectology
Geolinguistics.
