Linguistic Structure and Change An Explanation from Language Processing [Hardcover]

In linguistic studies, the term explanation does not live up to what the philosophers of science intend it to mean. In these pages, explanation is put on firmer theoretical footing via a relation of language to the various contexts in which it is embedded. A detailed analysis of the psychological context in particular shows that language processing provides a fruitful approach to explaining linguistic structure and change.

1. On the 'art' of explanation
2. Explanation from a macrolinguistic perspective
3. Method
4. Language structure
5. Language change
6. Poetic language
7. Discussion
8. A psycholinguistic model of language structure and change
9. Implications for psycholinguistic theory
10. The overall perspective: reductionist or non-reductionist?
References
Index