This article examines the ways in which explanation has been achieved in scientific work on language change over the last two hundred years. Explanations have come in many forms and at many levels and are greatly influenced ...

Book review of "Explaining language change: an evolutionary approach" by William Croft.

Review of Rule generalization and optionality in language change. By S. J. Keyser and Wayne O'Neil. (Studies in generative grammar, 23.) Dordrecht: Foris, 1985. Pp. vii, 153.

This paper reviews the problems of the deterministic and predictive view of language change initiated by nineteenth century linguists and shows that such a view is still present in many analyses proposed by twentieth century ...