Evolving Englishes: Varieties through Space and Time

Under the umbrella of evolving Englishes, this edited volume marries studies into the history of the English language with research traditionally rooted in the World Englishes paradigm. Insights into patterns of regional variation are offered with regard to linguistic features that have hitherto primarily been investigated in a small set of first-language varieties, but descriptions of varieties in the Kachruvian Outer Circle are also enhanced through noteworthy historical perspectives. Methodologically, each contribution works on strictly empirical grounds, regularly producing insights based on only recently compiled corpora of first- and/or second-language varieties of English. This approach brings to the fore novel functional and structural features of understudied varieties, such as the Englishes in Namibia and Sint Maarten, but also of varieties with more established research traditions in Asia and of functional varieties of English. In order to unveil said varietal features, novel analytical approaches, including the study of cultural scripts or refinements of tree-based modelling techniques, are embraced. In the light of said conceptual and methodological contributions, this edited volume is an attractive read for advanced undergraduates, postgraduates, and academics in the fields of World Englishes, historical linguistics, corpus linguistics, and sociolinguistics. It will also be of interest to researchers in related disciplines, including cultural studies.