Phonological Drift and Language Contact: The Northwest European Phonological Area

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Pavel Iosad (University of Edinburgh)

Phonological Drift and Language Contact

The Northwest European Phonological Area

Pavel Iosad (University of Edinburgh)

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English

Cambridge University Press
05 June 2025

Language: history & general works; Phonetics, phonology

Several language families of northern Europe – Germanic, Celtic, and Uralic – share phonetic and phonological patterns that are typologically unusual. This book demonstrates how we can better understand these convergences: they exemplify the phenomenon of drift. Using the latest advances in theoretical linguistics, the study of sound change, and language variation, it offers insights into the development of these features and what they tell us about past cultural and linguistic contacts. Although the languages are not closely related, an understanding of drift grounded in the theory of the life cycle of phonological patterns reveals the workings of convergent developments. Covering a wide range of vernacular varieties, this book shows how phonological microvariation is illuminated by an approach grounded in the theory of the life cycle and historical sociolinguistics. It is essential reading for historical and theoretical linguists, and anyone with an interest in the cultural and linguistic contacts across northern Europe.

By: Pavel Iosad (University of Edinburgh)
Imprint: Cambridge University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
ISBN: 9781108497381
ISBN 10: 1108497381
Pages: 340
Publication Date: 05 June 2025
Audience: College/higher education , Further / Higher Education
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Pavel Iosad is Professor of Synchronic and Diachronic Phonology at the University of Edinburgh. His work spans theoretical phonology and historical linguistics, with a focus on Celtic, Germanic, Romance, and Slavic languages. His notable publications include A Substance-free Framework for Phonology (2017).