Analyzing Language Change

Dear Colleagues,

Contributions are encouraged for a Special Issue of Languages focusing on language change.

Submissions may investigate any aspect of linguistic change: from completed changes whose results are attested in genetically related languages or in successive stages of a single language, to changes in progress evidenced in generational differences within a speech community. Furthermore, research analyzing language-internal changes are welcome, as are investigations concentrating on change originated from language contact and bilingualism/multilingualism.

Papers may track changes diachronically in the different components of linguistic systems or focus on the reconstruction of particular forms or subsystems. By the same token, studies using quantitative historical sociolinguistics frameworks are invited alongside those inscribed within the comparative method. Last but not least, contributions focusing on linguistic families and languages with no oral tradition are strongly encouraged, particularly those outside the span of Indo-European linguistics.

Topics within the scope of this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following:

(i) The comparative method;
(ii) (Proto) language reconstruction and dating;
(iii) Internal reconstruction;
(iv) Phonological change;
(v) Morpho-syntactic change;
(vi) Analogy/hypercorrection;
(vii) Semantic change;
(viii) Grammaticalization;
(ix) Historical sociolinguistics;
(x) Change in real time;
(xi) Change in apparent time;
(xii) Language contact and change.

The purpose of this Special Issue of Languages is to broaden the extensive body of literature in historical linguistics concentrating on Indo-European languages by incorporating, together with studies following the comparative tradition, quantitative research designed to observe change in progress as well as studies on less known languages and linguistic families.

We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 400–600 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send it to the guest editor ([email protected]). Abstracts will be reviewed by the guest editor for the purposes of ensuring proper fit within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer-review.

Tentative Completion Schedule

Abstract Submission Deadline: March 1st, 2024

Notification of Abstract Acceptance: May 1st, 2024

Full Manuscript Deadline: December 31st, 2024

Dr. Alvaro Cerron-Palomino
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Languages is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• language change
• historical linguistics
• language reconstruction
• historical sociolinguistics