Explores the general features and some unique usages of West African English, Caribbean English, and Indian English. (EL)

Suggests that the departing tone in Chinese arose not through the loss of the final "h," but through a glottalized phonation stage that is still observable. Historical sources supporting this theory are presented, and an account of the development of middle Chinese tones into Mandarin is proposed. (SED)

Shows that "usted" has two functions: showing lack of solidarity and showing extreme solidarity, with "tu" falling somewhere in between on the continuum. Discusses the increasing use of "tu," especially among younger people, and presents some possible reasons for this. (SED)

A relatively common way to establish a new verb is to give verbal form to a noun, but it also exposes some irregularities of the language, and the rules that govern it. Although this is largely a phenomenon of the twentieth century, evidence of it appears in Rabelais' work. (MSE)

Teachers must learn to accept the fact that variation in language is part of the communicative competence of a linguistically mature individual. (RC)

The hypotheses formulated by J. Monod in "Le hasard et la necessite" (1970) regarding biological evolution are applied to linguistic evolution. It is concluded that the two processes are similar. (Text is in French.) (CDSH/AM)

Examination of the simplified characters adopted in the People's Republic of China shows that all such characters have been created based on phonetic, graphic or semantic principles. This paper discusses phonetic simplification and lists characters followed by their simpler forms. (CHK)

Examines these distinct registral features of matrimonial newspaper advertisements in English in India: incongruity, deletion of preposition, miscellaneous deletions, two-word sentence, new abbreviations, registral confusion, stylistic variation. (RM)

In this inquiry study, teachers will explore the concept of English Language Learning and its implications for classrooms. Individually and in small groups, teachers will have opportunities to read, talk, and reflect about current issues regarding linguistic diversity in classrooms and schools, including bilingual/multilingual, ESL, and language…

This book examines linguistic variation and change. Section 1, "Sociohistorical Linguistics," includes: (1) "British Vernacular Dialects in the Formation of American English: The Case of East Anglian 'Do'"; (2) "'Short o' in East Anglia and New England"; and (3) "Sociohistorical Linguistics and Dialect Survival:…

This article explores the modalities of accommodation of two dialectophones [speakers of a dialect] in the Haut-Valais [this is a regional place name], one of whom has lived in Berne, Switzerland for more than 20 years, the other for several years. By exploiting the notion of repertoire, the study focused on the greater or lesser convergence…

The nature of language change over time is examined, and an evolutionary theory of language is proposed. The text, intended for laymen, students, and experts alike, first addresses the reasons and mechanisms by which language changes, and attempts to identify a relationship between the essence of language, reasons for change, and the genesis of…

Analyzes two descriptions of Nigerian English and discusses their implications for ESL teachers in Nigeria. (EKN)

The overall construction, internal organization, and utility of an inventory of Black African French variants are reviewed and found highly useful. Part of a page is reproduced as an example. (MSE)

Illustrates with numerous examples and analyses the various uses of "quien." Discusses alternation between "quien" and the groups "el cual"/"el que," variation in the verb agreement, the function of "quien" as an indefinite pronoun, as well as questions of stylistic preference and correctness. (MES)