Dynamic Linguistics: Labov, Martinet, Jakobson and other Precursors of the Dynamic Approach to Language Description

Cover
Contents
Figures
Preface
	0.1. The aims of the present work
	0.2. Caveat
Acknowledgements
Abbreviations and Acronyms
Chapter 1 Introduction
Chapter 2 Structuralism’s neglect of dynamics
	2.1. The development of structuralism
	2.2. Ferdinand de Saussure (1857-1913)
	2.3. Linguistic concepts or terms associated with Saussure
	2.4. Saussure’s parole-langue-langage
	2.5. Saussure’s synchrony and diachrony
	2.6. Tout se tient, the celebrated phrase associated with Saussure
	2.7. Postscript
Chapter 3 Labov’s contribution to dynamics
	3.1. Labov’s background
	3.2. The Martha’s Vineyard Study (1962-1963)
	3.3. The Social Stratification of  English in New York City [SSENYC] study (1962-1966)
	3.4. The Harlem Black American English project (1968)
	3.5. The quantitative analysis of sound change in progress [LYS] project (1968-1972)
	3.6. The Philadelphia Linguistic Change and Variation [LCV] project (1972-1979)
	3.7. The ‘Cross-Dialectal Comprehension’ [CDC] project (1985-1992)
	3.8. The Atlas of  North American English [ANAE] project (1991-2003)
	3.9. Labov’s methodological principles
		3.9.1. Quantitative approach
		3.9.2. Representativity in sampling and in contextual style
	3.10. Labov’s ground-breaking phonological findings
		3.10.1. Acoustic analysis
		3.10.2. Chain-shifts and peripherality
		3.10.3. Near-mergers
		3.10.4. Regular phonetic mechanisms and lexical dif fusion
		3.10.5. Gradual phonetic change and the S-curve
	3.11. Linguistic concepts or terms associated with Labov
		3.11.1. Variant and variable (1963)
		3.11.2. Apparent time (1964)
		3.11.3. Change in progress (1972)
	3.12. The consistency of Labov’s aims
		3.12.1. From the known to the unknown
		3.12.2. Which correlational societal factors are important?
		3.12.3. Terminology
		3.12.4. A potted appraisal of Labov’s achievements
Chapter 4 Martinet’s contribution to dynamics
	4.1. Martinet’s background
	4.2. The Weinsberg camp study of  French phoneme variation (1941)
	4.3. Martinet’s protracted conversion to dynamics
		4.3.1. Martinet in New York and his return to France
		4.3.2. Martinet the functionalist
		4.3.3. The middle-aged Martinet struggles with language dynamics
		4.3.4. Martinet the variationist discovers change in progress
		4.3.5. The elderly Martinet bites the bullet and adopts dynamic synchrony
		4.3.6. Martinet on dynamic synchrony
		4.3.7. The inf luence of  Martinet’s dynamic approach
		4.3.8. When does dynamic synchrony become diachrony?
	4.4. Linguistic concepts or terms associated with Martinet
		4.4.1. Twofold structuration (F. double articulation) (1949)
		4.4.2. Syntagmatic and paradigmatic axes of structuration
		4.4.3. Chain-shifts (F. chaînes de propulsion & de traction) (1952)
		4.4.4. Linguistic optimality (F. l’économie linguistique) (1952)
		4.4.5. Momentum (general drift) and linguistic optimality
		4.4.6. Functional yield (F. rendement fonctionnel) (1938)
		4.4.7. Axiology (F. axiologie) (1975)
	4.5. Martinet’s growing awareness of variation
Chapter 5 The Prague School and Jakobson’s contribution to dynamics
	5.1. The Prague School and its influences
	5.2. Jan Baudouin de Courtenay (1845-1929)
	5.3. Vilém Mathesius (1882-1945)
	5.4. Roman Jakobson (1896-1982)
		5.4.1. Jakobson’s background
		5.4.2. Jakobson’s early insights into dynamics
		5.4.3. Jakobson’s refining of his appreciation of language dynamics
		5.4.4. Martinet and Jakobson
	5.5. Uriel Weinreich (1926-1967)
	5.6. Eugenio Coseriu (1921-2002)
	5.7. The origins of the dynamic approach
Chapter 6 Problems of definition of concepts and terms relevant to dynamic linguistics
	6.1. Variation and alternation
	6.2. Oscillations and allophones
	6.3. Fluctuations
	6.4. Neutralisation and archiphonemes
		6.4.1. Neutralisation
		6.4.2. Archiphonemes
	6.5. Variation and alternation at the morphemic level
		6.5.1. Synonyms
		6.5.2. Allomorphs
		6.5.3. Semantic alternants
		6.5.4. Semantic variation
	6.6. Societal correlations of variation
	6.7. Indexicality and salience
	6.8. Interactional and stylistic correlations of variation
	6.9. Code-switching
	6.10. Linguistic insecurity and linguistic attitudes
		6.10.1. Linguistic insecurity
		6.10.2. Linguistic attitudes and linguistic imagination
	6.11. Fudging and fudge forms
	6.12. Levelling, convergence and koineisation
	6.13. Dialect jumping and the gravity and cascade models
Chapter 7 Martinet and Labov
	7.1. Problems of definition: The Communicative function of language
	7.2. Problems of emphasis: Intrinsic linguistic determinants vs extrinsic societal determinants
		7.2.1. Terminology
		7.2.2. To favour intrinsic linguistic or extrinsic societal determinants?
		7.2.3. Societal determinants of language
	7.3. Distinguishing change and variation from one another
	7.4. A muted appreciation of each other’s ideas
Chapter 8 Dynamics: Martinet’s precursors
	8.1. Wilhelm von Humboldt (1767-1835)
	8.2. The birth of dialectology in Europe in the 1870s
	8.3. Pierre-Jean Rousselot (1846-1924)
	8.4. Franco-Provençal dialectologists
		8.4.1. Franco-Provençal
		8.4.2. Louis Gauchat (1866-1942) and Eduard Hermann (1869-1950)
		8.4.3. Benvenuto Terracini (1886-1968)
		8.4.4. Antonin Duraffour (1879-1956)
		8.4.5. Interference associated with language shift neglected by the early dynamicists
		8.4.6. The ideological ramifications of the term patois
	8.5. Antoine Meillet (1866-1936)
	8.6. Various early twentieth-century European dynamic studies
	8.7. Swiss dialectologists
	8.8. North American dialectologists
	8.9. North American sociolinguists avant la lettre
		8.9.1. Early sociolinguistic fumblings
		8.9.2. The Catholic University of America sociolinguists
		8.9.3. Two individual sociolinguists
	8.10. Conclusions as to the precursors of a dynamic approach to linguistics
Chapter 9 Some problems of reification in linguistics
	9.1. Problems of reification: The structure of language
		9.1.1. Structure or system?
		9.1.2. Structure as locus for language’s systemicity
		9.1.3. Distinguishing language - as adjective - from linguistic
	9.2. Problems of reification: The delimitation of language
		9.2.1. The linguist’s terrible twins: Language and dialect
		9.2.2. Speech community
		9.2.3. New York City English
		9.2.4. Black American English
		9.2.5. Denying the reality of dialect
		9.2.6. Variable rules
		9.2.7. Coexistent structures and coexistent systems
		9.2.8. Creole dynamicists
		9.2.9. Language contact and interference
		9.2.10. Diasystems
		9.2.11. Conclusions on the delimitation of dialects
	9.3. Problems of reification: The critical threshold and lifespan variation
	9.4. Problems of reification: Interior language and cognition
		9.4.1. Interior language and exterior language
		9.4.2. The brain according to neuroscientists
		9.4.3. Cognitive linguists and dynamics
		9.4.4. Linguistic relativity
Chapter 10 Conclusions
	10.1. Influences on Labov’s approach to dynamic linguistics
	10.2. The general neglect of Martinet’s contribution to dynamic linguistics
	10.3. A final word
Chapter 11 What is dynamics in language and dynamic linguistics?
	11.1. The nature of language as speech
	11.2. Defining dynamics
	11.3. Descriptive linguistics
	11.4. The relationship between language structure and dynamics
	11.5. The way ahead
Chapter 12 Principles of a dynamic description of language
	12.1. Principle 1: Aim at a comprehensive description
	12.2. Principle 2: Embrace an impressionistic approach
	12.3. Principle 3: Delimit target speech according to societal reality
	12.4. Principle 4: Compare immediately adjoining dialects
	12.5. Principle 5: Establish a birth-date and locality matrix
	12.6. Principle 6: Distinguish expansive and recessive variants
	12.7. Principle 7: Prefer a broad synchrony
	12.8. Principle 8: Aim at a supra-oppositional phonology
	12.9. Principle 9: Prioritise unaffected speech
	12.10. Principle 10: Understand the dynamics of linguistic insecurity
	12.11. Principle 11: Understand the relationship of analysis to inventorising
Bibliography
Index