Abstract
The papers in this section examine macrosociolinguistic concerns, concerns that shape the contexts for language use. Joseph Greenberg offers a provocative look at the historical tension between prescriptivism and descriptivism in grammatical theory and shows that the widely held rejection of prescriptivism on the part of linguists is a relatively modern development. Joshua Fishman, Frank Solano, and Grant McConnell present a method for quantifying linguistic homogeneity within countries. Using a method developed to permit continuous rather than dichotomous classification of variables, their approach allows more precise cross-national comparisons that inform the understanding of the relationships (and lack thereof) between linguistic heterogeneity, political turmoil, and economic development around the world.
Original language | English (US) |
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Publisher | De Gruyter Mouton |
Number of pages | 570 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9783110869132 |
ISBN (Print) | 9783110125764 |
State | Published - May 9 2011 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Arts and Humanities(all)
- Social Sciences(all)