This book presents, for the first time in English, a complete critical survey of the theory and methodology of Indo-European linguistics, from its origins two centuries ago to the present day.

This book presents, for the first time in English, a complete critical survey of the theory and methodology of Indo-European linguistics, from its origins two centuries ago to the present day.

"Anthony Fox's new textbook is primarily for students with an elementary knowledge of general linguistics who need an up-to-date introduction to historical linguistics, particularly to new developments in the theory and practice of linguistic reconstruction." -- Back cover.

The Bases for Reconstructing Pre-IEFrom Pie to Pre-IeResidues in Pie that Prompt its Identification as a Reflex of an Active Languagelexical StructureSyntaxDerivational MorphologyInflectional MorphologyPhonologyThe Culture of the Pre-Indo-European SpeakersPre-IE and Possible Related Languages

The theory presented in this book is an attempt to extend the comparative method to linguistic structures of the highest level, i.e., to texts. It shows how fragments of Proto-Indo-European poetry can be reconstructed on the basis of etymologically related expressions, occurring in corresponding contexts in various Indo-European languages. The book also contains a chapter on the formal elements of Proto-Indo-European poetry, and an etymological survey of the poetic terminology of Indo-European languages. The book is intended primarily for Indo-Europeanists, but also for scholars of comparative literature, as its conclusions touch upon the literary prehistory of several Indo-European traditions.

This book gives a comprehensive introduction to Comparative Indo-European Linguistics. It starts with a presentation of the languages of the family (from English and the other Germanic languages, the Celtic and Slavic languages, Latin, Greek and Sanskrit through Armenian and Albanian) and a discussion of the culture and origin of the Indo-Europeans, the speakers of the Indo-European proto-language.The reader is introduced into the nature of language change and the methods of reconstruction of older language stages, with many examples (from the Indo-European languages). A full description is given of the sound changes, which makes it possible to follow the origin of the different Indo-European languages step by step. This is followed by a discussion of the development of all the morphological categories of Proto-Indo-European. The book presents the latest in scholarly insights, like the laryngeal and glottalic theory, the accentuation, the ablaut patterns, and these are systematically integrated into the treatment. The text of this second edition has been corrected and updated by Michiel de Vaan. Sixty-six new exercises enable the student to practice the reconstruction of PIE phonology and morphology.

First published in 1970 in Germany, this is a revised and enlarged English translation of what remains the standard introduction to the subject. Each section contains a detailed bibliography.