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Some theoretical Prerequisites for the Integrated Study of Linguistic “Macrochange”

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Abstract

The term macrochange (following the example of macroevolution as used in evolutionary theory) is here proposed to characterize changes affecting several areas of a language at the same time with a unitary cause, inside or outside language proper. A general theoretical model for this type of change will be proposed. As a case study, a set of changes in Icelandic will be analysed that lead to the creation of a widespread system for the marking of the agents’ or experiencers’ responsibility, evidentiality , etc., and that affect the lexicon , morphology , syntax and discourse. This macrochange will be defined in the terms of the integrated view of language and language change proposed here, which makes it necessary to adopt and develop the methods and concepts of complexity theory as applied to language . From this perspective, ‘language ’ has to be taken to include not only structures and usage, but the whole ‘ecological niche’ where it exists and is in use by human beings in specific cultural and historical situations; it is to be viewed as a complex natural phenomenon.

Partial support for work on this topic was provided by Research Project FFI2013-41366-P. MINECO. Lingüística cognitiva y lenguaje disfuncional.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The translations are obviously not idiomatic in English: their only purpose is to make possible the literal understanding of the Icelandic examples.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Linguistics, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain

    Enrique Bernárdez

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  1. Enrique Bernárdez
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Correspondence to Enrique Bernárdez .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Catalan Philology and General Linguistics, Scripta (FFI2016-80482P), UBICS, CUSC, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

    Àngels Massip-Bonet

  2. Grupo de Ingeniería Lingüística, Instituto de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico

    Gemma Bel-Enguix

  3. Department de Lingüística General, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

    Albert Bastardas-Boada

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Bernárdez, E. (2019). Some theoretical Prerequisites for the Integrated Study of Linguistic “Macrochange”. In: Massip-Bonet, À., Bel-Enguix, G., Bastardas-Boada, A. (eds) Complexity Applications in Language and Communication Sciences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-04598-2_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-04598-2_6

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