This volume explores how human languages become what they are, why they differ from one another in certain ways but not in others, and why they change in the wa

The volume explores the relationship between linguistic universals and language variation. Its contributions identify the recurrent patterns and principles behi

In this book leading scholars examine and assess rival explanations for linguistic universals and the effectiveness of different models of language change. They

The Handbook of Language Variation and Change, written by a distinguished international roster of contributors, reflects the vitality and growth of the discipli

This book applies recent theoretical insights to trace the development of Castilian and Latin American Spanish from the Middle Ages onwards, through processes o