% pubman genre = preprint
@misc{item_3258940,
title = {{Pragmatics of language evolution}},
author = {List, Johann-Mattis},
language = {eng},
doi = {10.17613/g7bh-nw76},
year = {2019},
abstract = {{The fact that {\textquotedblleft}all languages evolve, as long as they exist{\textquotedblright} (Schleicher 1863: 18f) has been long{\textless}br{\textgreater}known to linguists and does not surprise us anymore. The reasons why all language change constantly,{\textless}br{\textgreater}however, is still not fully understood. What we know, however, is that language usage must{\textless}br{\textgreater}be at the core of language evolution. It is the dynamics among speakers, who want to be understood{\textless}br{\textgreater}and understand what others say, while at the same time trying to be efficient, convincing, or poetic{\textless}br{\textgreater}when communicating with others. If the dynamics of language use are indeed one of the driving forces{\textless}br{\textgreater}of language evolution, it is evident that the phenomena of language change need to be studied from{\textless}br{\textgreater}the perspective of pragmatics. In times of constantly increasing amounts of digital language data, in{\textless}br{\textgreater}various forms, ranging from wordlists via results of laboratory experiments to large historical corpora,{\textless}br{\textgreater}it is clear that every attempt to understand the specific dynamics of language evolution must be carried{\textless}br{\textgreater}out in an empirical framework. In the course, I will try to give a rather broad (but nevertheless{\textless}br{\textgreater}eclectic) introduction into topics in historical linguistics in which pragmatics play a crucial role for the{\textless}br{\textgreater}study of language change and its driving forces. In this context, we will look into empirical aspects{\textless}br{\textgreater}of research on language evolution, empirical studies on sound change, and the pragmatics of language{\textless}br{\textgreater}contact. In addition, we will also learn how language change can be modeled, and how we{\textless}br{\textgreater}can study pragmatic phenomena themselves from an evolutionary perspective by investigating how{\textless}br{\textgreater}speech acts and poetic traditions evolve.}},
journal = {{Humanities Commons}},
}