Subject: morphophonemics / slavic languages

marta harasowska morphophonemic variability , productivity , and change the case of rusyn 1998 . 23 x 15 , 5 cm . xv , 266 pages cloth dm 198 , - / approx . us $ 124 . 00 isbn 3-11 - 015761 - 6 trends in linguistics . studies and monographs 110 mouton de gruyter * berlin * new york this volume presents an in-depth investigation of processes influencing morphophonemic variability , productivity , and change . the author adopts the labovian approach to the study of language and examines both linguistic and extra-linguistic factors which bear on language use . bybee 's analogy-based model of morphology provides the ` psychologically real ' theoretical framework for representing the linguistic processes under scrutiny . the language chosen for the study is rusyn , a slavic minority language in serbia 's autonomous province of vojvodina . sharing historical roots with polish , slovak , and ukrainian , present-day rusyn functions within a language contact area dominated by serbo - croatian . as a micro-language in a macro-linguistic environment , rusyn offers the ideal microcosm for a study of linguistic variability and change . the data for the study were collected during the course of field work in vojvodina . they are interpreted using ` response coincidence analysis ' , an analytical technique which identifies the ` linguistic ' groupings in the data and is thus neutral with regard to the ` social ' groupings apparent in the speech community . what emerges is a unique view of morphophonemics as a transitional level not only between phonology and morphology , but also between phonology , morphology , and semantics . moreover , the examined morphophonemic patterns in rusyn are found to be in the process of change which can indeed be attributed to both linguistic and extra-linguistic factors . the findings for rusyn will be of relevance to the study of other linguistic communities , particularly those functioning in language contact areas . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ mouton de gruyter walter de gruyter , inc . postfach 30 34 21 200 saw mill river road d-10728 berlin hawthorne , ny 10532 germany usa fax : + 49 ( 0 ) 30 26005-351 fax : + 1 914 747-1326 email : mouton @ degruyter . de publications by de gruyter can also be ordered via world wide web : http : / / www . degruyter . com
