LANGUAGE CONTACT IN AMAZONIA by Alexandra Aikhenvald ( 9780199257850 )

Item Details

Title:

LANGUAGE CONTACT IN AMAZONIA

By:

Alexandra Aikhenvald

Format:

Hardback

List price:

£62.00

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£54.25

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12.5% off

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£7.75

ISBN 10:

019925785X

ISBN 13:

9780199257850

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Publisher:

OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS

Pub. date:

16 January, 2003

Pages:

398

Description:

This book investigates the contact between Arawak and Tucanoan languages spoken in the Vaupes river basin in northwest Amazonia, which spans Colombia and Brazil. In this region language is seen as a badge of identity: language mixing is resisted for ideological reasons. The book considers which parts of the language categories are likely to be borrowed. This study also examines changes brought about by recent contact with European languages and culture, and thelinguistic effects of language obsolescence.

Synopsis:

This book considers how forms and meanings of different languages at different times may resemble one another and what the explanation is for this. The author aims (a) to explain and identify the relationship between areal diffusion and the genetic development of languages, and (b) to discover the means of distinguishing what may cause one language to share the characteristics of another. This is done using the example of Arawak and Tucanoan languages spoken in the large area of the Vaupes river basin in northwest Amazonia, which spans Colombia and Brazil. In this region language is seen as a badge of identity: language mixing, interaction, and influence are resisted for ideological reasons. Professor Aikhenvald considers which grammatical categories are most and which are least likely to be borrowed in a situation of prolonged language contact where lexical borrowing is reduced to a minimum. She provides a genetic analysis of the languages of the region and considers their historical relationships with languages of the same family outside it.She also examines changes brought about by recent contact with European languages and culture, and the linguistic and cultural effects of being part of a group that is aware its language and identity are threatened. The book is presented in relatively nontechnical language and will interest linguists and anthropologists.

Illustrations:

1 map, 8pp halftone plates and numerous tables

Publication:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Returns:

Returnable

Some other items by this author:

A GRAMMAR OF TARIANA, FROM NORTHWEST AMAZONIA (HB)

A GRAMMAR OF TARIANA, FROM NORTHWEST AMAZONIA (PB)

CLASSIFIERS (PB)

EVIDENTIALITY (HB)