Aske, Jon. In progress. Spanish-English Cognates: An Introduction to Spanish Linguistics. Open Access eBook
(Open Textbook): CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 US. Source: http://lrc.salemstate.edu/aske/cognates/ (2017-01-28)
Chapter 3: Further resources
3.1. Diachrony, origins, change
Langfocus. Language Isolates - Lonely Languages With No Family (Quick Video).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkubYrRQ1y8
Langfocus. The Romance Languages and What Makes Them Amazing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6o140Ni6yiM
Langfocus. The Spanish Language and What Makes it The Coolest.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSfCDdTtBn0
Langfocus. The Portuguese Language and What Makes it Intriguing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nur6WwpmyBo
Langfocus. How Similar Are Spanish and Italian?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMzM-s1ng7k
Langfocus. The North Germanic Languages of the Nordic Nations (UPDATED).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onduQjgAj8Y
Langfocus. The German Language.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3IImGiiY1Q
Langfocus. The Dutch Language.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBbQW1KzWQA
Langfocus. The Celtic Languages.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ri1Vw3w1_10
Langfocus. Is English Really a Germanic Language?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OynrY8JCDM
p. 1 of 6
Aske, Jon. In progress. Spanish-English Cognates: An Introduction to Spanish Linguistics. Open Access eBook
(Open Textbook): CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 US. Source: http://lrc.salemstate.edu/aske/cognates/ (2017-01-28)
Langfocus. Basque - A Language of Mystery.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1l9oDiSiEQ
latintutorial. 2011. Latin and Its Indo-European Language Family.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPh03KsGrAA
latintutorial. 2014. Latin: Present Participles.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5rfbu-8OFc
Gendler, Alex & Igor Coric. How languages evolve - TED-Ed. TED-Ed Original lessons.
http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-languages-evolve-alex-gendler
Over the course of human history, thousands of languages have developed from what was once a much
smaller number. How did we end up with so many? And how do we keep track of them all? Alex Gendler
explains how linguists group languages into language families, demonstrating how these linguistic trees give
us crucial insights into the past.
McWhorter, John & Lippi. Birth of a nickname. TED-Ed Original lessons.
http://ed.ted.com/lessons/birth-of-a-nickname-john-mcwhorter
Where do nicknames come from? Why are Ellens called Nellie and Edwards Ned? It's all a big
misunderstanding from the early days of the English language, a misunderstanding that even the word
nickname itself derives from. John McWhorter tracks the accidental evolution of some familiar diminutives.
Lesson by John McWhorter, animation by Lippy.
McWhorter, John & Lippi. A brief history of plural word...s. TED-Ed Original lessons.
http://ed.ted.com/lessons/a-brief-history-of-plural-word-s-john-mcwhorter
All it takes is a simple S to make most English words plural. But it hasn't always worked that way (and there
are, of course, exceptions). John McWhorter looks back to the good old days when English was newly split
from German -- and books, names and eggs were beek, namen and eggru!
Handke, Jürgen. 2012. Language Typology - Language Reconstruction.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yj_TrtaS4k
This E-Lecture discusses the main principles of language reconstruction. Its main topics are: proto-languages,
the comparative method, and cognate comparison. Using many examples from the VLC Language Index, the
methods of reconstructing former languages receive vivid support.
Handke, Jürgen. 2012. Language Typology - Types of Language Change I.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QntJ_EWqx6w
Language change affects all aspects of language structure and use, This E-Lecture, which we produced by
means of "team teaching", focuses on phonological and morphological aspects. Syntactic and lexical change
are discussed in Types of Langauge Change II.
p. 2 of 6
Aske, Jon. In progress. Spanish-English Cognates: An Introduction to Spanish Linguistics. Open Access eBook
(Open Textbook): CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 US. Source: http://lrc.salemstate.edu/aske/cognates/ (2017-01-28)
Handke, Jürgen. 2012. Language Typology - Reasons for Language Change.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vjt3g37SuQg
This E-Lecture discusses the main principles of language variation in order to find out in what way they
influence the development of English from its beginnings to the present day. The examples used here are
from PDE as well as from former stages of the English language..
Hurford, James R. The Origins of Language: A Slim Guide. Oxford, United Kingdom:
Oxford University Press, 2014. Print.
This book offers an accessible overview of what is known about the evolution of the human capacity for
language and what sets human language apart from the simple communication systems used by non-human
animals. It draws on a wide range of disciplines, including philosophy, neuroscience, genetics, and animal
behaviour.
Ostler, Nicholas. Empires of the Word: A Language History of the World. New York:
HarperCollins Publishers, 2005. Print.
Caesar led his legions into battle for the glory of Rome--and the immortality of Greek. In the curious spread
of Greek through Roman conquest, Ostler recounts one of the many fascinating episodes in the complex
history of languages. The resources of the cultural historian complement those of the comparative linguist
in this capacious work, which sets the parameters for a new field of scholarship: "language dynamics." By
peering over Ostler's shoulder into this new field, readers learn how languages ancient and modern
(Sumerian and Egyptian; Spanish and English) spread and how they dwindle. The raw force of armies counts,
of course, in determining language fortunes but for far less than the historically naive might suppose: military
might failed to translate into lasting linguistic conquest for the Mongols, Turks, or Russians. Surprisingly,
trade likewise proves weak in spreading a language--as the Phoenician and Dutch experiences both show. In
contrast, immigration and fertility powerfully affect the fate of languages, as illustrated by the parallel
histories of Egyptian and Chinese. Ostler explores the ways modern technologies of travel and
communication shape language fortunes, but he also highlights the power of ancient faiths--Christian and
Moslem, Buddhist and Hindu--to anchor language traditions against rapid change. Of particular interest will
be Ostler's provocative conjectures about a future in which Mandarin or Arabic take the lead or in which
English fractures into several tongues. Few books bring more intellectual excitement to the study of language.
(From Booklist, by Bryce Christensen, © American Library Association)
Trask, R. L, and Robert McColl Millar. Why Do Languages Change? Cambridge; New
York: Cambridge University Press, 2010. Print.
The first recorded English name for the make-up we now call blusher was paint, in 1660. In the 1700s a new
word, rouge, displaced paint, and remained in standard usage for around two centuries. Then, in 1965, an
advertisement coined a new word for the product: blusher. Each generation speaks a little differently, and
every language is constantly changing. It is not only words that change, every aspect of a language changes
over time - pronunciation, word-meanings and grammar. Packed with fascinating examples of changes in
the English language over time, this book explores the origin of words and place names, the differences
between British and American English, and the apparent eccentricities of the English spelling system.
Amusingly written yet deeply instructive, it will be enjoyed by anyone involved in studying the English
language and its history, as well as anyone interested in how and why languages change. (-Book jacket)
p. 3 of 6
Aske, Jon. In progress. Spanish-English Cognates: An Introduction to Spanish Linguistics. Open Access eBook
(Open Textbook): CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 US. Source: http://lrc.salemstate.edu/aske/cognates/ (2017-01-28)
Aitchison, Jean. The Seeds of Speech : Language Origin and Evolution. Cambridge, U.K;
New York: Cambridge University Press, 2000. Print.
Human language is a weird communication system: it has more in common with birdsong than with the calls
of other primates. Jean Aitchison explores the origins of human language and how it has evolved. She likens
the search to a vast prehistoric jigsaw puzzle, in which numerous fragments of evidence must be assembled.
Such evidence is pieced together from a mixture of linguistic and nonlinguistic sources such as evolution
theory, archaeology, psychology, and anthropology. This is an accessible and wide-ranging introduction to
the origins and evolution of human language.
Duncan, Edwin. “Indo-European Language Family.” Web. 12 Aug. 2014.
http://pages.towson.edu/duncan/IELanguageTree.htm
The Indo-European Language Family. Short lecture with slides from course English 451. Duration: 18:02
3.2. Romance languages
Alkire, Ti, and Carol G Rosen. Romance Languages: A Historical Introduction. Cambridge;
New York: Cambridge University Press, 2010. Print.
Ti Alkire and Carol Rosen trace the changes that led from colloquial Latin to five major Romance languages,
those which ultimately became national or transnational languages: Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese,
and Romanian. Trends in spoken Latin altered or dismantled older categories in phonology and morphology,
while the regional varieties of speech, evolving under diverse influences, formed new grammatical patterns,
each creating its own internal regularities. Documentary sources for spoken Latin show the beginnings of
this process, which comes to full fruition in the medieval emergence of written Romance languages. This
book newly distills the facts into an appealing program of study, including exercises, and makes the difficult
issues clear, taking well motivated and sometimes innovative stands. It provides not only an essential guide
for those new to the topic, but also a reliable compendium for the specialist.
Posner, Rebecca. The Romance Languages. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University
Press, 1996. Print.
What is a Romance language? How is it related to other Romance languages, how did they all evolve, and
what can they tell us about language in general? In this comprehensive survey Rebecca Posner, a
distinguished Romance specialist, examines this group of languages from a wide variety of perspectives. Her
analysis combines philological expertise with insights drawn from modern theoretical linguistics, and relates
linguistic features to historical and sociological factors. Her discussion is extensively illustrated with new
and original data, and an up-to-date and comprehensive bibliography is included.
p. 4 of 6
Aske, Jon. In progress. Spanish-English Cognates: An Introduction to Spanish Linguistics. Open Access eBook
(Open Textbook): CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 US. Source: http://lrc.salemstate.edu/aske/cognates/ (2017-01-28)
“The Romance Languages - Comparative Grammar of Latin & the Modern Romance
Languages.” Web. 13 July 2014.
http://www.nativlang.com/romance-languages/
3.3. Endangered languages
Fox, Margalit. The Riddle of the Labyrinth: The Quest to Crack an Ancient Code. New
York: Ecco, 2013.
The Riddle of the Labyrinth tells one of the most intriguing stories in the history of language, masterfully
blending history, linguistics, and cryptology with an elegantly wrought narrative. When famed archaeologist
Arthur Evans unearthed the ruins of a sophisticated Bronze Age civilization that flowered on Crete 1,000
years before Greece’s Classical Age, he discovered a cache of ancient tablets, Europe’s earliest written
records. For half a century, the meaning of the inscriptions, and even the language in which they were
written, would remain a mystery. Award-winning New York Times journalist Margalit Fox's riveting real-life
intellectual detective story travels from the Bronze Age Aegean—the era of Odysseus, Agamemnon, and
Helen—to the turn of the 20th century and the work of charismatic English archeologist Arthur Evans, to
the colorful personal stories of the decipherers.i
Abley, Mark. 2011. Spoken Here: Travels among Threatened Languages. Toronto, Ontario:
Vintage Canada.
In Spoken Here, Mark Abley takes us on a world tour from the Arctic Circle to Oklahoma to Australia in a
fervent quest to document some of the world's most endangered languages. His mission is urgent: Of the six
thousand languages spoken in the world today, only six hundred may survive into the next century. Abley
visits the exotic and frequently remote locales that are home to fading languages and constructs engaging
and entertaining portraits of some of the last living speakers of these tongues. Throughout this exhilarating
travelogue, he points out that the same forces that put biological species at risk -- development, globalization,
loss of habitat -- are also threatening human languages, and with them, something very basic about their
speakers' cultures.
Austin, Peter, and Julia Sallabank, eds. The Cambridge Handbook of Endangered
Languages. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 2011. Print.
It is generally agreed that about 7,000 languages are spoken across the world today and at least half may no
longer be spoken by the end of this century. This state-of-the-art Handbook examines the reasons behind this
dramatic loss of linguistic diversity, why it matters, and what can be done to document and support
endangered languages. The volume is relevant not only to researchers in language endangerment, language
shift and language death, but to anyone interested in the languages and cultures of the world. It is accessible
both to specialists and non-specialists: researchers will find cutting-edge contributions from acknowledged
experts in their fields, while students, activists and other interested readers will find a wealth of readable
yet thorough and up-to-date information.
p. 5 of 6
Aske, Jon. In progress. Spanish-English Cognates: An Introduction to Spanish Linguistics. Open Access eBook
(Open Textbook): CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 US. Source: http://lrc.salemstate.edu/aske/cognates/ (2017-01-28)
Moseley, Christopher. Encyclopedia of the World’s Endangered Languages. London:
Routledge, 2007. Print.
The concern for the fast-disappearing language stocks of the world has arisen as a result of the impact of
globalization. This book attempts to catalogue and describe those languages, making up the vast majority of
the world's six thousand or more distinct tongues, which are in danger of disappearing.
“UNESCO Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger.” Web. 13 July 2014.
http://www.unesco.org/culture/languages-atlas/
The online edition of the Atlas is complementary to the print edition It does not reproduce the regional and
thematic chapters of the print version, but it offers additional information on the listed endangered
languages. Via this interface, you can browse through them, using combinations of search criteria and/or
zooming in the map below
Crystal, David. 2002. Language death. Cambridge, UK; New York: Cambridge University
Press.
The rapid endangerment and death of many minority languages across the world is a matter of widespread
concern, not only among linguists and anthropologists but among all interested in the issues of cultural
identity in an increasingly globalized culture. A leading commentator and popular writer on langauge issues,
David Crystal asks the fundamental question, "Why is language death so important?", reviews the reason for
the current crisis, and investigates what is being done to reduce its impact. By some counts, only 600 of the
6,000 or so languages in the world are "safe" from the threat of extinction. By some reckonings, the world
will, by the end of the twenty-first century, be dominated by a small number of major languages. Language
Death provides a stimulating and accessible account of this alarming trend, which, like the large-scale
destruction of the environment, is both peculiarly modern and increasingly global. Language Death includes
intelligent argument and moving descriptions of the decline and demise of particular languages, as well as
practical advise for anyone interested in pursuing the subject further. David Crystal is a leading authority on
language, and author of many books, including most recently Language and the Internet, (Cambridge, 2001).
He is author or editor of several other books with Cambridge, including the Cambridge Encyclopedia of
Language (1997), Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language (1995), English as a Global Langauge
(1997), Language Death (2000); and Words on Words (University of Chicago, 2000). An internationally
renowned writer, journal editor, lecturer and broadcaster, he received an Order of the British Empire in 1995
for his services to the English language
i
Cf. http://www.amazon.com/Riddle-Labyrinth-Quest-Crack-Ancient-ebook/dp/B009NQZPCU
p. 6 of 6