Deals with how phonological changes occur and why. Presented as a response to "how" is the idea of lexical diffusion with focus on the temporal and lexical dimensions of sound changes. Evidence has been gathered from various languages to support this theory. Actuation is presented as occurring for physiological and perceptual reasons. (SC)

This study argues that both Shanghai and Taiwanese have a metrical system, that compound stress is left-headed in Shanghai and right-headed in Taiwanese, and that a tonal domain is a metrical one. The article explains some asymmetries between Shanghai and Taiwanese and maintains that metrical structure can be determined when data on phonetic…

Approaches Middle English quantity changes as the consequence of the phonologization of a syllable cut prosody and provides new evidence for the relevance of syllable cut to the diachronic phonology of English. Evidence comes from partial reconstruction of Ihe phonological system of the early Middle English dialect presented in the "Ormulum,"…

Demonstrates that two Tungusic languages, Evenki and Oroqen, that have long been treated as a single language for classification purposes, are better treated as distinct linguistic varieties. Fundamental questions are raised about the current classification of Tungusic languages and a renewed examination is suggested of the role of dialect…

Deals with 13th and 14th century distribution of [s] and [z] retracted or apical sibilants in the languages of Western and Central Europe. Based on philological evidence and on dialect evidence of today, the presence of various sibilants is determined. (SC)

Comparison of the moribund dialects of Ocracoke Island, North Carolina, and Smith Island, Maryland, demonstrates that valuable insight into the patterning of variation and change in language death can be obtained by investigating moribund varieties of healthy languages. Discusses comparative investigation of two kinds of linguistic decay:…