Research Catalog

Title

Linguistic ecology : language change and linguistic imperialism in the Pacific region / Peter Mühlhäusler.

Author

Mühlhäusler, Peter.

Publication

London ; New York : Routledge, 1996.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Description

396 pages : illustrations; 25 cm.

Summary

"In Linguistic Ecology, Peter Muhlhausler examines the transformation of the Pacific language region under the impact of colonization, Westernization and modernization. By focusing on the linguistic and sociohistorical changes of the past 200 years, he brings a new dimension to the study of Pacific linguistics, which up until now has been dominated by questions of historical reconstruction and language typology." "In contrast to the traditional portrayal of linguistic change as a natural process, Muhlhausler focuses on the cultural and historical forces which drive language change. Using the metaphor of language ecology to explain and describe the complex interplay between languages, speakers and social practice, Muhlhausler looks at how language ecologies have functioned in the past to sustain language diversity, and at what happens when those ecologies are disrupted." "Whilst most of the examples used in the book are taken from the Pacific and Australian region, the insights derived from this area are shown to have global applications."--Jacket.

Series Statement

Politics of language

Uniform Title

Politics of language

Subject

• Linguistic change
• Language policy > Pacific Area
• Sociolinguistics > Pacific Area
• Changement linguistique
• Sociolinguistique > Pacifique, Région du
• Cambio lingüístico
• Sociolingüística > Pacífico (Región)
• Language and languages
• Language policy
• Sociolinguistics
• Sprachpolitik
• Sprachwandel
• Sprachkontakt
• Taalcontact
• Pacific Area > Languages
• Pacifique, Région du > Langues
• Pacífico (Región) > Lenguas
• Pacific Area
• Pazifischer Raum
• Südostasien
• Austronesische Sprachen

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references (p. [348]-376) and index.

Contents

1. The changing linguistic ecology of the Pacific region -- 2. Language ecology in pre-European days -- 3. Disruptions in the linguistic ecology -- 4. Pidgins and creoles -- 5. Case studies -- 6. Mission languages and language policies -- 7. Official policies and language planning -- 8. The impact of literacy -- 9. The impact of foreign language teaching -- 10. The sociolinguistics of language shift, decay and death -- 11. Assessing the damage: structural and lexical effects -- 12. Preserving linguistic diversity: outlook and prospects -- Appendix: Linguistics in the Pacific.

ISBN

• 0415056357
• 9780415056359
• 0415056365
• 9780415056366

OCLC

• ocm34345488
• 34345488
• SCSB-2090017

Owning Institutions

Princeton University Library