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Cognition. --- Iconicity (Linguistics) --- Linguistic change. --- Semiotics.

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It has been argued that properties of the visual-gestural modality impose a homogenizing effect on sign languages, leading to less structural variation in sign language structure as compared to spoken language structure. However, until recently, research on sign languages was limited to a number of (Western) sign languages. Before we can truly answer the question of whether modality effects do indeed cause less structural variation, it is necessary to investigate the similarities and differences that exist between sign languages in more detail and, especially, to include in this investigation less studied sign languages. The current research climate is testimony to a surge of interest in the study of a geographically more diverse range of sign languages. The volume reflects that climate and brings together work by scholars engaging in comparative sign linguistics research. The 11 articles discuss data from many different signed and spoken languages and cover a wide range of topics from different areas of grammar including phonology (word pictures), morphology (pronouns, negation, and auxiliaries), syntax (word order, interrogative clauses, auxiliaries, negation, and referential shift) and pragmatics (modal meaning and referential shift). In addition to this, the contributions address psycholinguistic issues, aspects of language change, and issues concerning data collection in sign languages, thereby providing methodological guidelines for further research. Although some papers use a specific theoretical framework for analyzing the data, the volume clearly focuses on empirical and descriptive aspects of sign language variation.

Sign language. --- Language and languages --- Psycholinguistics. --- Linguistic change. --- Langage par signes --- Variation (Linguistique) --- Psycholinguistique --- Changement linguistique --- Variation. --- linguistic typology. --- Linguistic change --- Psycholinguistics --- Sign language --- Variation

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Psycholinguistics --- Semiotics --- Cognition. --- Iconicity (Linguistics) --- Linguistic change. --- Semiotics. --- Iconicity (Linguistics). --- Cognition --- Linguistic change --- Semeiotics --- Semiology (Linguistics) --- Semantics --- Signs and symbols --- Structuralism (Literary analysis) --- Change, Linguistic --- Language change --- Historical linguistics --- Language and languages --- Iconism (Linguistics) --- Icons (Linguistics) --- Linguistics --- Psychology

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This collected volume contains most of the papers delivered to the section on Language Change and Geographical (Dis-)Continuity at the XXIX German Conference of Romance Studies. Interest is focussed on examining the commonalities and differences in the development of different Romance languages and/or dialects, with a consideration of the problems surrounding spatial and temporal continuity and/or discontinuity always being taken as the starting point. At the same time, this allows a weighing up of the relationship between internal and contact-determined language change.

Romance languages --- Linguistic change --- Languages in contact --- Areal linguistics --- Change, Linguistic --- Language change --- Historical linguistics --- Language and languages --- Neo-Latin languages --- Italic languages and dialects --- History --- Language Contact. --- Linguistic Change. --- Romance Languages.

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This article investigates whether evolutionary accounts can offer new insights into the paradox of language change. Specifically, I will examine three recent influential accounts (Haspelmath 1999, Keller 1994, and Croft 2000). As they contain a broad spectrum of positions on the relations between language and biology, they can be divided into metaphorical, biologistic and generalized views. Cross-cutting these, two types of evolutionary accounts are distinguished, which I call adaptive and two-level views, respectively. I critically evaluate their potential to provide satisfactory explanations for various types of change, drawing on examples from Romance and Germanic. Finally, I propose a revised explanation scheme which brings together the two-level approaches with theoretical distinctions and explanatory factors that have been suggested in earlier non-evolutionary frameworks, so that a more comprehensive view of language change can be obtained.

Linguistic change --- Grammar, Comparative and general --- Romance languages --- Grammar, Historical --- Grammar, Comparative and general. --- Linguistic change. --- Grammar, Historical. --- Historical linguistics --- Grammar --- Changement linguistique --- Grammaire comparée et générale --- Langues romanes --- Grammaire historique --- Neo-Latin languages --- Italic languages and dialects --- Change, Linguistic --- Language change --- Language and languages --- Comparative grammar --- Grammar, Philosophical --- Grammar, Universal --- Philosophical grammar --- Linguistics --- Philology --- Grammar, Comparative --- Romance languages - Grammar, Historical