Case Alternations in Five Finnic Languages: Estonian, Finnish, Karelian, Livonian and Veps

Abstract

and Travis thus systematically and elegantly show that rather than structural convergence, the main contribution of code-switching is in contextual (re)distribution. This study represents a significant milestone in the study of contact-induced change. Methodologically, its use of a purpose-built corpus realizes the promise of modern data collection technologies, and its detailed discussion of the processes of transcription and coding does justice to the analytical nature of these seemingly mundane elements of study design. The application of the variationist comparative method to the question of code-switching and language change is a major advancement in this approach to complex language description. Torres Cacoullos and Travis thus make the case that the hitherto backgrounded analysis of the variable context can serve a more prominent role in the comparative analysis of variable features. Finally, this book’s conclusions indicate that one should not simply assume that code-switching is a catalyst for language change; rather, it must be systematically demonstrated.