Preface

The whole gamut of problems encountered in area linguistics and the techniques used in handling them are presented in the first five chapters of the book with reference to American English. Since most of those who may consult this publication will be speakers of English, the choice of this plan seems reasonable. Besides, this is the field in which I feel thoroughly at home.

American English is eminently suitable for illustrating many of the problems with which area linguistics is concerned. First of all, its dialectal structure is simpler than that of language areas with a longer history. Secondly, the sociocultural interpretation is less involved and greatly facilitated by ample information on settlement history, the growth of regional centers, the development of transportation systems, the social structure of the several regions, and the organization of schooling. Moreover, the British linguistic background and the sociocultural interrelations between North America and Great Britain from the seventeenth century to the present are rather well understood.

My choice of examples from languages other than English depends upon their relevance from the point of view of methods in area linguistics. Fortunately most of the problems confronting the area linguist can be illustrated by well documented examples available in the fields of the Germanic and the Romanic languages. I regret that I am not competent to deal critically with certain problems that have been raised in the Slavic field.

The presentation of examples from languages other than English with sufficient clarity to carry conviction is not easy. In the very nature of the case, the factual evidence consists of dialect forms elucidated with reference to standard literary forms or to other dialect forms. Glossing such forms by the foreign standard language and by English, redundant as it may seem, imposes itself. Another problem is raised by divergent practices in the rendering of phonological features. Not only do Germanists and Romanists use different notation systems, they rarely distinguish clearly between phonemic and phonic entities. Under the circumstances, the notation of the source material has to be retained. However, I have at times used the international phonetic alphabet to suggest phonic or phonemic interpretations.

The last three chapters deal with general problems of linguistic change to which area linguistics can make significant contributions: diffusion, adaptation, and parallel development.

I have taken pains to provide precise references to the works of numerous scholars I have relied on. Permission to reproduce or adapt sketch maps has been secured from the various authors and their publishers and is gratefully acknowledged.

A generous subvention for the publication of this book has been granted by the Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies of the University of Michigan, for which my thanks are heartily rendered.

The maps have been drawn with skill and care by Miss Joan Enerson, cartographer of the Department of Geography of the University of Michigan. Warm thanks are rendered to Professors Charles M. Davis and Meivin G. Marcus of the geography department for sponsoring Miss Enerson’s work.

I am grateful to Professor Thomas A. Sebeok of Indiana University for having invited me to contribute this volume to the distinguished series of linguistic publications of the Indiana University Press, and to the Indiana University Press for the careful reproduction of a rather intricate manuscript.

Hans Kurath